


Forged In Ice

by Queen_of_the_Crows



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Angst, Battle Scenes, Blood and Violence, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Execution, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Forbidden Love, Friends to Lovers, Murder, Near Death Experiences, Original Character(s), Slow Burn, War, Warrior Woman, end of season 5 and on, life at castle black
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-03-02 15:03:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 48,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13320672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_of_the_Crows/pseuds/Queen_of_the_Crows
Summary: Mirra Theirin is a warrior woman, a noble woman, from an ancient northern house still around from the time of the first man; they still hold their loyalty to House Stark. Mirra goes to Castle Black with a small army of her father's men to answer Lord Commander Snow's call for aid against the White Walkers. She always wanted to fight but as a woman never could regardless of her skill, she jumped at the opportunity to go where they wouldn't turn down skilled fighters. Her and Jon knew each other as children as her father often had business at Winterfell and would take her along for a couple months every year until she was 13 and the Kings visit at Winterfell waylaid their plans. My story comes in in what would be the last few episodes of season 5, making both Mirra and Jon 20 years old. It follows the main plot points of the show with my own take of course on interactions.





	1. Lady of the North

It was early in the afternoon when the raven arrived at Highever in the north from Castle Black. A young woman with hair just as dark as the raven’s wings was brushing her horse in the stables just back from her morning ride. She smiled to herself as she brushed the black stallion’s mane. The only time she felt truly free was on the back of the horse, rushing through the grounds of Highever.  
“Pardon milady, a raven just arrived for you.” One of the servants from the kitchen staff entered the stables with a small scroll in her hand, slightly outstretched.  
The raven haired woman set her brush down and turned and exited the stall. “Thank you Leanne.” She said as she walked over and took the scroll.  
“Of course Lady Mirra.” She bowed and left the stables.  
Lady Mirra Theirin was the only child of Lord Matthew Theirin and his wife Lady Elizabeth Theirin. They were one of the strongest houses in the north and still held fierce loyalty to the Starks even though their king was slaughtered and the murderers now reigned at Winterfell. Mirra was an exceptional woman; she was well read and intelligent, beautiful, a fierce fighter, an excellent rider, and she had a thirst for adventure that would never allow her to take the simple life of a woman and marry and have children, not that she wanted a life like that anyway. Anyone who looked at Mirra could tell she was from the north. She had long thick hair as dark as the ravens’ wings. Her skin was pale as was most girls of the north. Her eyes were the deepest of blues, like looking out over the sea on a bright and clear today; they were made all the more striking against her light skin and dark hair. Her lips were soft, inviting, and her figure was small and what most consider to be ideal, skinny, but she was not without muscle as her sword training and riding had given her strength. She was a woman of only 20, many men looked to her father, hoping to marry her but everyone had been refused. Lord Theirin loved his daughter and respected her wishes to not be married off and to let her find her own husband, in her own time. Her mother greatly disagreed with this and wished to see her daughter wed to a good house sooner rather than later. Most everyone knew that her mother wished to see her wed to Robb Stark, the King of the North. She even took the liberty to send a raven to Robb Stark in his army camp asking him to marry her daughter without either her husband or daughter knowing. Her hopes were dashed once the king returned a raven saying that he had fond memories growing up with Mirra but that he had married another. Mirra smiled at the message and sent a raven back to her old friend congratulating him on his marriage and wishing him all the happiness in the world for him and his bride. Lady Mirra didn’t want to marry because it was a good match, she wanted to marry for love or not at all.  
The young lady turned the scroll over in her hand as she exited the stable into the main square of the castle. She ran her finger over the seal on the parchment. “Castle Black. How interesting.” Mirra crossed the rest of the square and entered the castle where she stole away to her room to change from her pants and coat into a dress her mother would find more appropriate for dinner. She set the scroll on her dressing table and stripped out of her leather pants, black blouse, and long tailed coat. She also pulled a ribbon from her hair and let it fall down her back slowly unraveling her long braid. She sat down at her table and picked up and began brushing her hair as she looked out her window over the castle grounds wondering what the Night’s Watch might want with her family but she knew not to open it since her father was the lord, it was meant for him. She finished brushing her hair and dressed in a black gown with long flowing sleeves and deep blue embroidering, the same colors as the banner of house Theirin. She left her hair to hang down as she grabbed the scroll and left her room. She walked through the castle until she arrived at the large door of her father’s study.  
“Father.” She knocked on his door even though it was slightly ajar.  
“You know you’re always welcome in here Mirra.” Lord Theirin replied as his daughter pushed the door open and crossed the threshold.  
“A raven arrived today. From Castle Black.” Mirra said as she walked into the room and stood at the opposite end of a desk where her father seemed to be keeping an eye on Bolton troop movements as best he could. She reached across the table and handed her father the scroll she had received earlier.  
“I’m surprised to see that you haven’t already read it yourself.” He mentioned with a laugh as he broke the seal and unrolled the small letter.  
“It didn’t seem like I should.” She responded as she carefully watcher her father’s face as he read the contents.  
“It seems the Night’s Watch has lost many men in a war against the Wildlings. They request that we send some of our men to help them replenish what was lost because winter is coming and it brings White Walkers.” Lord Theirin sat the letter down on his desk.  
“Winter is coming. Famous words of the Starks and all of us in the north already know that, better than anyone else. Why ask to send only a few? Why not all of what they lost to give them back what was lost? We can spare the men. We could spare many more men if it wasn’t for a possible attack from Winterfell at any moment.” Mirra scoffed as she said the last words. She hated Lord Bolton and his bastard son.  
Lord Theirin couldn’t help but smile at his daughter’s words. She had picked up on a lot in her years and strategy was not lost on her. “I don’t intend to send 20 men. I intend to send the 50 men that they lost and that way all the men that the other houses must send will be extra hands that they didn’t have before. It’s the least I could do for an order so needed as the Watch and out of respect for their Lord Commander and his family.”  
Mirra piqued up at this and looked at her father. “Who is Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch?”  
“Jon Snow, Eddard Stark’s bastard son.”  
“The rightful heir of Winterfell and Warden of the North.”  
“Both are true. There must always be a Stark in Winterfell. Although it is good that Jon had departed for the wall because if he had been here, he would have been with Robb at all his battles and he would have been there at the red wedding. Walder Frey and Lord Bolton would have killed him too and then where would we be?” Her father said sadly.  
“I hate the Frey’s just as I hate the Bolton’s. Both deserve execution.” Mirra said angrily. They all knew that Robb Stark could have won the war, defeated the Lannister’s, taken the Iron Throne from those false kings and sat someone else in their place who deserved it.  
“That they do dear girl, but we are not in a place right now to go after either of them. The only reason they have not come here to Castle Theirin to demand our taxes and our loyalty is because they know they can’t scare us as they did the others. Our army is much too vast for them to send only a small party and try to flay us like they have other houses. And they cannot send their whole army because it would leave Winterfell vulnerable and it would be an act of war against us and Lord Bolton doesn’t wish to test his men against our own to see who would win. I also think he knows that if he comes here, it doesn’t matter how he frightened other houses, the north will join us and rise up against him to retake Winterfell and put an end to them.”  
Mirra thought on this for a moment. “So they would rather just let this uneasy peace last for the moment then risk coming here? Why not raise the north ourselves and take the war to them?”  
“Winterfell is a fortress, even more so now that it has been restored and rebuilt. We don’t have the siege equipment we would need to break her walls and I would wish a much bigger army than what we have, even with the other lord’s sending us their armies. I want enough men that they have no hope of winning and we cannot lose.”  
“I understand father. I will bow to no Bolton, no matter what happens.” Mirra’s deep eyes blazed with fire.  
“Nor will I bend my knee to them. They killed our king in cold blood and took what isn’t theirs to have. One day they will pay.” Lord Theirin slammed his fist on the table in front of him. “There is much work to be done now, however. I must gather our men that will be marching to Castle Black and inform our commander of what is going on.  
“Father wait.” Mirra turned to him as he moved to leave the room. “I have a request. I would like to go with our men to Castle Black.”  
“What ever for? You know you cannot join the watch, they only take men.”  
“I know father but I can fight there. I can’t join our army or the king’s guard or anything else but the Night’s Watch needs fighters, whoever they can get, and I know that I’m better than a lot of the men that they probably have there. Winter is coming, we all know it, they’re going to need help and I can help them. And we will have plenty of our own men there and they wouldn’t let anything happen to me. Please father, let me go with them. What’s the point of my sword training if I will never get to use any of it?”  
“What would I tell your mom? She’ll be furious.”  
“Tell her the truth, tell her that I’m not made for a simple life of a loveless marriage and children and nothing else, tell her I’m doing what I need to to make my own way and my own happiness, tell her I’m doing it for the realm. Please father, send me with them.”  
“Very well, you may go to Castle Black. I will deal with your mother, although I’m sure she’ll have some words for you come dinner tonight. Go ready your things, I want to have everyone ready to march for the wall in the morning.”  
Mirra’s smile reached her eyes and she grabbed her father and hugged him tight. “Thank you father! I promise you won’t regret this.”  
“As long as you make it back home safely whenever this is done, I’ll be happy.” The man smiled as he hugged his daughter back. “Now go prepare, I have much to do before dinner tonight.”  
Mirra smiled as she breezed from the study and half ran to her room to pack her clothes and other little things that she thought she may need. 

“Matthew I cannot believe that you are allowing our daughter, our only child, to go to Castle Black and put her on the front lines of winter and this war with the wildlings! How could you do this?!” Lady Theirin was in tears but it was unknown whether they were from sadness or angry or more likely a mix of both.  
“It’s what she wants Elizabeth. You know she won’t be happy here waiting for you to try to force a husband on her who she doesn’t want. She’ll be well protected, our men won’t let any harm come to her and Lord Commander Snow is a good man and he will see to it that she is safe as well.”  
“You say that like those assurances will mean a damn to me when they don’t!” She picked up her wine glass and took a drink. “She needs to stay here where it actually is safe.”  
“It’s only safe here for now. This uneasy avoidance between us and house Bolton won’t last forever and when it ends it will bring war. When that day comes, Mirra is much safer at Castle Black than she will be here.” Lord Theirin said that last bit with an air of finality, attempting an end to the conversation before Mirra would join them for dinner, although she had heard it all from where she stood in the hallway right before she entered the dining hall.  
“There’s my girl.” Her father smiled as she took her place at the table while her mother couldn’t even bear to look at her at the moment. “Do you have everything you need packed and ready to move in the morning?”  
“Because you’re shipping her off to her death! Let’s just talk about it like it’s something cheerful!” Lady Theirin couldn’t hold in her anger any longer.  
“I want to go mother, no one is forcing me. I asked to go. And I’m not going to die. None of our men will allow it and neither will the Lord Commander.”  
Her mother just shook her head. “What would you know of that? You haven’t even seen the man since you were both children.”  
“He’s a good man dear wife. Ned Stark raised all his boys to be good men.”  
“I should have tried to marry her to Robb Stark sooner, then we wouldn’t be dealing with this right now.” She sighed and took a drink of wine.  
“No then I’d be dead just like him and his wife and his mother. How would that be any better?!” Mirra was getting angry herself now. She knew that her mother couldn’t force her to stay, not as long as her father allowed her to go but it made her angry all the same that she just wouldn’t accept that she was leaving.  
“It wouldn’t be better but if Robb already had a wife when he began the war, Walder Frey couldn’t have made one of his terms that Lord Stark marry one of his daughters, thus couldn’t get angry when a vow was broken and the red wedding probably would have never happened. I think you would have been very happy with him. He was a good man and he was handsome and you knew him so it wouldn’t have been like marrying a stranger.”  
“I knew him when I was a girl. You said so yourself, I haven’t seen Jon Snow or any of the Stark’s since we were all much younger, not yet men and women. Yes Robb Stark was a good man and maybe I would have been happy to be his wife but I didn’t love him and I won’t marry someone that I do not love, I just won’t. I’d rather be alone and happy than in a loveless marriage and be miserable. I’m going to Castle Black because I need to do what I feel is right for me and to live my own life. You don’t have to agree with my choices, just accept that they are what I want and I need to be my own person.”  
“You will still go with our soldiers in the morning, it will just take some time for your mother to get used to the idea and you being gone. You shouldn’t be too surprised Elizabeth, she gets her head strong attitude from you after all.” Matthew Theirin laughed as he said this last part, trying to break some of the tension between the women in his family. “Let’s enjoy this last meal together as a family, it will be the last one for a long time I’m sure.”  
“Thank you father. Mother I’ll make sure to return home in one piece someday.” Mirra told both her parents as she began to eat her dinner.  
Lady Elizabeth Theirin simply nodded with tears in her eyes and turned her attention towards her dinner. No one spoke to each other the rest of the night except for the simple good night they all said to each other before retiring to their rooms.

Shortly after the sun began to rise the next morning, Mirra awoke from her bed in Castle Theirin for the last time. She lay in bed for a little while longer simply gazing out the window at the coming day and thinking of the journey ahead. Below her, she could hear her family’s soldiers running about in the courtyard readying the carts they would be bringing with them and preparing the horses for the long ride. Sounds of shouted orders and clanking steel could be heard as the soldier’s armor plates banged against each other as they all rushed to finish the commander’s orders before Lord Theirin emerged to check their progress.  
Mirra slowly pushed the blankets and furs off to the side and planted her feet on the cold floor. A shiver ran down her spine at the chill as she walked over to her dressing table and sat down in front of it to brush out her long raven hair. Her agile hands deftly worked the thick hair into a long braid that she let hang down her back for the time being. It was best to have her long locks out of her face when she rode. She took the brush from her table and biggest and softest fur from her bed and slipped out of her night gown and carefully packed them into her trunk before closing the lid and latching it shut. Among the other things that filled her trunk were pants, long sleeved blouses, a couple of corsets, an extra jacket, and various necessities. She opted to only bring one dress because they weren’t practical and she honestly didn’t really like to wear them anyway.  
The young lady stood naked in the center of her room enjoying the slight chill of the air on her exposed skin. She allowed herself a short moment before she began to dress and head out to the courtyard. Lady Mirra had put aside all her dresses and wasn’t sad to be leaving them behind. She was now also a warrior, not just a lady, and the thought made her smile. She slipped into a pair of black leather pants and over the top she wore a plain white blouse with loose long sleeve that tied at the chest which she tucked into the waistband of her pants. Over the blouse she wrapped a black corset around her torso and pulled it just tight enough to do its job but not enough to keep her from fighting. She grabbed her black coat and slipped her arms through, the ends of her white sleeves poking out at the wrists. The coat was short in the front reaching only to her waist but had long tails in the back. It was warm enough for now but she packed a longer one better suited to what she assumed the weather would be at Castle Black. The last thing she put on was her long black cloak with fur around the neckline and shoulders and an oversized hood that would more than cover her face should she need it to. She reached into one of the drawers of her dressing table and removed a thigh holster and dagger which she latched around her right thigh and slipped the dagger into its sheath. She pulled her long braid from behind her back and draped it over her shoulder as she slowly took a look around the room she had lived in all her life. Mirra smiled and opened the heavy wooden door where she found a servant standing outside the door waiting for her.  
“My lady,” The young man bowed to her, “I’m here to grab your things for you.”  
“Thank you, it’s all in the trunk at the foot of the bed.” Mirra said as she walked past him and continued down the hall and made her way outside.  
Once outside she could tell that most of the work was already done and the soldiers were mostly milling about waiting to leave, waiting on her and her father, many of them instantly snapped to the ready as she walked down the few stairs from the castle into the courtyard, her cloak billowing out behind her.  
“Lady Mirra, Shadow has been saddled and fed this morning and he is ready for you.” The commander of the Theirin forces said upon approaching her with her stallion’s reins in hand.  
Mirra smiled as she took the reins in her hand and brushed the horse’s head with her other. “You’re not riding with us to Castle Black?”  
“Afraid not milady. I will be staying here to command your father’s armies should Lord Bolton make any move against us. It is my lieutenant who will be joining you and my men at the wall.” The man replied as her looked around doing final inspections.  
“Well should they try anything, they won’t stand a chance.” Mirra said just as her father entered the courtyard and drew most everyone’s eyes towards him. Standing directly behind Lord Theirin was his wife who looked equal parts sad and angry at her only daughter going off to basically fight a war since they all knew winter was coming.  
“Commander,” Matthew Theirin nodded to the man as he approached them, “Is everything in order?”  
“Everything is prepared and they are ready to move on your orders sir.” The commander’s response was quick and to the point and just what Lord Theirin was looking for.  
“Excellent! Let me have a moment with my daughter.”  
The commander needed no other order and stepped away and went to double check that everything was in order and everyone accounted for before the 50 soldiers plus the lieutenant and Mirra set out towards the wall.  
“I have a gift for you.” Lord Matthew smiled at his daughter and unhooked a sword belt from his waist and held it out for her in both of his hands.  
Mirra could barely contain her excitement as she grabbed the hilt and slowly pulled the blade from its sheath. She gasped as she saw how beautiful it was, unblemished and shining. The hilt and pommel were simple and she liked it that way, beautiful and powerful, a sword meant for use and not simply ornament. “Is this-“  
“Valyrian steel? Yes it is.” He beamed as she slowly and carefully ran her hand over the blade, even her mother couldn’t help but smile at her happiness.  
“But how? It’s so rare to find one with Valyria gone.” Mirra looked her father confused and in awe.  
“I didn’t have to find one. This one has been in the Theirin family for many generations now and was originally forged for one of our ancestors long ago. I simply had it cleaned for you. I was always hoping that one day it would be in the hands of someone truly worth wielding it again. I can think of no one better suited to have this blade than you Mirra, its name is Wintersbreath.”  
She sheathed the sword and took the belt and hooked in around her waist and hung the sword on her left side. “Thank you father; I’ll do you proud I promise.”  
The man chuckled. “You’ve already done me proud dear girl, just come back to us alive.”  
Lady Elizabeth Theirin nodded. “We’ll be praying to the old gods every day for your safe return. I love you Mirra.” Her mother hugged her and kissed her cheeks.  
“I’ll come home again one day and I’ll make sure to send a raven from time to time. I love you both.” The young lady said as she turned to her father who wrapped her into an embrace and hugged her tight.  
“I love you my dear Mirra. Be careful.” He kissed her forehead and let her go.  
Mirra Theirin mounted her horse and together they walked to join the lieutenant at the front of their gathered forces, her parents not quite ready to say goodbye.  
“Are we ready to move out?” Mirra questioned, turning to the lieutenant perched on the white horse next to her.  
“At your command milady.” He replied looking over his shoulder to ensure everyone was prepared.  
“Avoid going near Winterfell at all costs. If the Bolton’s see our banners in so small a company, they may not hesitate to attack you.” Lord Theirin advised as he looked on his daughter about to march off to fight. “And lieutenant, you watch over my daughter.”  
“With my life milord.” He fisted his hand over his heart and bowed his head.  
“Let’s head out!” Mirra called to the soldiers as she urged Shadow forward.  
“Mirra!”  
She looked over her shoulder at her mother’s call and slowed down.  
“Tell Lord Commander Jon Snow that if anything happens to you while under his protection there is no where that he and the Night’s Watch can hide that I won’t find them.”  
Mirra laughed softly at her mother’s threat and simply nodded her acknowledgment as Shadow picked up speed and the rest of the company of soldiers fell into place behind her. She doubted the Night’s Watch would be scared by her mother’s words although they should be; the wrath of Lady Elizabeth Theirin was a terrifying thing to behold. She laughed to herself as she thought about it. She would have many miles to think about how best to word that to the Lord Commander.


	2. Arrival at Castle Black

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mirra and her company arrive at Castle Black and Mirra has her first encounter with Lord Commander Jon Snow in seven years.

It was an uneventful journey of well over a fortnight before the company finally arrived at Castle Black. Mirra had her large hood drawn over her head completely hiding her face in shadow and her long hair hung down her back.  
“Soldiers approaching!” She heard someone from inside yell as they approached the massive gate to the fortress. “They carry House Theirin colors!” Came next in response to a question no one heard asked and then the gates swung slowly open and Mirra and her lieutenant led the company of Theirin soldiers into the open courtyard of the Night’s Watch main base.  
Mirra came to halt in the middle of the yard and looked around her. There were men clad in black standing all around the yard just watching them, some on their level and others on the battlements. She also noticed a woman wearing a long sleeved dress of a deep crimson color with fiery red hair and no coat on at all although she didn’t appear to be cold at all. Lady Mirra found that very strange to find another woman at Castle Black just standing well off to the side observing. Her eyes came to rest on the landing of a staircase directly in front of her where she found a handsome young man of her own age dressed in all black with a head of long black curls to match. His brown eyes looked to her and seemed slightly confused by the face that was hidden in the shadows of her cloak and he appraised the rest of her men, shocked by the number her father had sent since the Lord Commander had not asked for that many. Standing beside the man was none other than Stannis Baratheon, rightful king to the seven kingdoms, which meant that the young man beside him was Lord Commander Jon Snow.  
“Your grace.” The lieutenant said humbly upon seeing the man, he bowed on his horse and Mirra and the rest of the company followed suit. Stannis nodded to the man and his forces before the lieutenant turned his attention to the Lord Commander.  
“Lord Commander, I am Lieutenant Hawthorne second in command to Lord Theirin’s forces. I bring with me men to replenish what was lost in your war against the wildlings. Every single one of them has been trained by some of the best swordsmen in the north and have served in the Lord’s army for some years. They are battle hardened and know the importance of defending the wall and protecting the realm. They will do anything you need them to although they will not take the black as most of them have wives and children back home and will not abandon them. They need no training and they will take any orders given by you and they can also help train other recruits and those who need help. Lord Theirin picked some of his best to send along to you.”  
“I appreciate the gesture but why so many? I only requested that he send me a handful of what he could spare, that’s all I asked of all the lords.” Lord Commander Snow seemed both surprised and puzzled at this development.  
“Lord Theirin knows that winter is coming and you need all the help that you can get and he holds great respect for you and your family and your order. He wants to help.” Lieutenant Hawthorne replied feeling anxious under question although he had no reason to.  
“Lord Theirin is a good man although he doesn’t owe my family anything. Is there something that he wishes of me in exchange for more men than I asked of him? If I remember one thing about Lord Theirin it was his fierce loyalty to my family so I imagine he isn’t taking it well now that the Bolton’s reside in Winterfell and have been named Warden of the North. If he wishes me to send him Night’s Watch to help him take Winterfell, I cannot do that. Their place is here and so is mine as much as it pains me to know the man who killed my brother now lives in my home, I can’t aid Lord Theirin against them.” Jon Snow said rather sadly as he mentioned Robb Stark’s death and betrayal.  
“My father wishes nothing from you or the Night’s Watch.” All eyes turned towards the mysterious figure in the cloak who said these words. Mirra slowly pulled her hood down and the collective intake of breath at learning she was a woman was astonishing. She didn’t even acknowledge it and instead looked to Jon Snow. “Lord Commander, I am Lady Mirra of House Theirin. My father sent all these men to you because he respects you and your family and knows you need more men, skilled men. You’re a Stark and as far as my father is concerned, you should be Warden of the North as it is your right. It is with that respect and loyalty he sent all these men to you.” She spanned her arm across the battalion of troops behind her.  
“In that case I greatly welcome your father’s men and will send a raven to Castle Theirin immediately to thank him. Olly show all the Theirin soldiers to their quarters.” The boy nodded and moved away from the crowd as the rest of the soldiers started to dismount their horses and follow other members of the Watch to the stables before falling in line behind Olly. “Lady Mirra, can I have a moment?” Lord Commander Snow had to shout to be heard of the soft roar of conversation and the clanging of heavy armor.  
“Of course my lord.” Mirra said simply as she dismounted her horse and handed the reins to a boy who appeared at her side who could be no more than fifteen years of age. “This is Shadow. Be careful with him, he’s quite headstrong and sometimes he bites.” She winked at the kid as she tossed an apple from her saddle bag into his hands. “This helps.” She kissed the horse on the snout before climbing the staircase where Jon and Stannis stood. “Your grace.” She said with a curtsey.  
“My lady.” He replied with a small bow before moving off to meet the strange woman with the red hair who was still standing off to the side watching the scene unfold, almost as unmoved as she was when Mirra first observed her.  
“This way Lady Mirra.” Jon Snow gestured off down a hallway as he led her to his office. He closed the heavy wooden door behind her and offered her one of the chairs in front of the large desk behind which he took a seat himself. Mirra fanned her cloak out over the chair and then she sat down and crossed one leg over the other.  
“It’s been quite a long time since I last saw you, at Winterfell, imagine my surprise to find you here of all places.”  
“Yes it has, seven years, we were both only thirteen at the time if I remember correctly. That was the last time my father ever brought me along to Winterfell.” Mirra said thinking back to all those years ago.  
“My lady, if you don’t mind my asking, why exactly are you here? It’s a surprise to find any women here at all and right now we have five and a baby. I don’t object to your presence, I’m more intrigued by it.” The young commander said, searching for the right words to use. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of this woman. He had indeed known her in life but that was years ago and he didn’t know much about her now.  
“I want to help. I want to fight. I can’t join my father’s army and I can’t join the king’s guard either, not that I want to help guard the Lannister’s anyway, I also can’t join the Night’s Watch, I know that, but I also know that you’re a good man and you won’t turn down anyone who wants to help you. My father allowed me to come here, to fight for you. I’m skilled with a sword, probably better than a lot of the men you have under your command, and I want to be here, that’s why I’m here. Are you going to send me back?”  
“Not if you can handle your own which I’m sure you’re even better at now than the girl I sparred with years ago and like you said, I won’t turn down anyone who wants to help us.” Jon Snow replied after thinking a moment.  
“Thank you my lord, I can do anything you need me to do.”  
“You know I’m not a lord don’t you Lady Mirra? I’m a bastard and I have no title.”  
“As far as my family is concerned, you’re a Stark, heir to Winterfell, a lord. You deserve the respect.”  
“Yes well, it’s something that many of the men here call me as a joke, a jab at my status. Lord Snow, they call me and laugh, knowing I’m no lord and hoping it hurts my feelings.” He clasped his hands together on the table and leaned in as he talked to her.  
“That’s not how I mean it. I mean it with all the respect that the title deserves, that you deserve. You’re a Stark, proper name or not. Your father always knew it and treated you as such.” Mirra told him also leaning forward in her chair.  
“He was a good man.”  
“Yes he was and he raised good men.”  
“Just as your father raised a strong daughter.” He replied with a smile.  
“Yes, well that is something my mother wishes was quite different. If she had her way I would have been married off years ago to some lord or lord’s son and already have had a child or two.”  
Jon Snow laughed at that. “Something tells me that sort of life wouldn’t have suited you.”  
“You noticed did you?” Mirra laughed with him, a soft whimsical sound that men loved to listen to. “That sort of life is exactly what I didn’t want, that’s why I came here, to follow my own heart and lead my own life. I don’t want someone to dictate my life for me, I want to live it for myself.”  
“Being completely honest, that’s why I left Winterfell with my uncle and came here to join the Night’s Watch. I didn’t just want to live in the shadows as Ned Stark’s bastard son, I love all the Stark’s and they are my family but I had to make a decision for myself and lead my life. I understand why you’re here.”  
Mirra smiled at him and her smile was something to behold indeed, beautiful and charming and warm. It was something that made her face even that much more beautiful. “I’m glad you’re the Lord Commander then Jon Snow. You understand me and I’m really just glad you’re here in general. It’s good to be around a familiar face. If you don’t mind, I’d actually like to be around you while I’m here. Well, uh, what I mean is that, uh, I’d like to help you out and learn how things work around here. I’m sure as Lord Commander you’re a very busy man and have many things to attend to and I’d like to learn and assist with that as best I can.” It was rare for Mirra Theirin to stumble over her words but yet she found herself doing just that.  
“I don’t mind at all. I would very much enjoy having you around, err, your help I mean.”  
Mirra looked away, finding herself unable to hold his gaze for the moment and averting her eyes covered the soft pink color that had found its way into her cheeks. The pair sat in silence for a moment before Mirra remembered what her mother had said before she left her home.  
“I do have a message for you from my mother. She told me to tell you that if anything happened to me while I was under your watch that there would be nowhere in Westeros that you or the Night’s Watch could hide that she wouldn’t find you.”  
A chill ran down the man’s spine at those words. “Nothing will happen to you, I won’t allow it. I remember Lady Theirin and she could be quite the terrifying woman when she wanted to be.”  
“Yes, I wouldn’t wish her wrath on anyone.” Mirra replied looking up to catch Jon’s eye again.  
“Well she will have nothing to fear as long as I am Lord Commander here.” Jon Snow rose from his chair and walked around the desk and offered his hand to Mirra. “Let me show you around the castle and to where you will be sleeping.  
“A tour of the castle from the Lord Commander himself sounds good to me.” Mirra replied as she took the man’s hand and rose from her chair. “Before we go, there is something that I need to tell you. My father would have just sent a raven to you but the information was far too sensitive and we didn’t trust it to a raven should your family’s enemies find it and intercept it.” She spoke in a rush, ready to get the secret out that had been weighing on her heart for months now.  
Jon Snow’s face grew quite concerned at her words as he stood there with her hand in his. Mirra said the next part in a quiet whisper in case anyone might have been listening in on their conversation. “Your brother Rickon is alive. He arrived at our castle months ago with a woman named Osha. She told us that Bran and Hordor had gone north of the wall with a couple of others hunting some three eyed raven from a vision that Bran had. My family has been keeping him safe and hidden in the castle. The only people who know your brother is there are myself, my mother and father, and Osha who now works for us as a cover for free roam of the castle. We know that many people have it out for your family and we couldn’t risk even allowing our own staff to know that he is alive and with us. You understand why we couldn’t risk this information with a raven.” Mirra finished speaking and looked up to read his expression.  
“I knew Bran lived as it was Sam who let them through the gate to the other side of the wall but no one had heard any news about Rickon. I’m glad your father knew not to send me a raven. I wasn’t even here at Castle Black at the time to have received it anyway and I know I have enemies here. Thank you for protecting him.” Jon grabbed Mirra and pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. “To know that at least one of my siblings is alive and safe and that means more to me than you know.” He let go of her after a moment and moved towards the door. “Ready to see Castle Black?” He asked as he pulled the door open  
“Lead the way.” Mirra smiled as he gestured for her to leave the room and closed the door on their way out.


	3. The View Beyond the Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mirra gets her first glimpse of what lays beyond the Wall and learns a little more about life at Castle Black

The pair walked along the hallways for a few minutes with the Lord Commander pointing out the various rooms and their purpose before Mirra noticed the red haired woman staring at them from the courtyard where she stood beside Stannis and some of his men. “Who is that woman?” Mirra asked him tilting her head slightly to the small group.   
Jon Snow followed her gaze. “That’s the lady Melisandre. She’s a red priestess in service to King Stannis. She serves the lord of light she says.”  
Mirra caught the woman’s eye and held it until she looked away. “I don’t understand why people have turned away from the old gods. It seems only those in the north serve them now. From what I’ve heard of the red priestesses and their lord of light is that they use blood magic and seduction and sacrifice, usually human sacrifice, to fuel all sorts of spells and carry out their wishes.”  
“Those are the types of secrets you hear the men whisper in the shadows. I don’t think they’re far off either. She came to me once but I wouldn’t give her what she wanted and she hasn’t neared me since. Stannis is the type of man who will do whatever it takes to get what he wants; I am not that man. I have morals and values and trust in my gods. It bothers me to have someone like her roaming my castle.”  
Mirra smiled at that. “There’s too few good men left in this world Jon Snow, but you’re one of them. Don’t ever forget that.”  
“Lord Commander! I saw all the men to their barracks and tended to their horses, what do you need of me?” Olly called as he ran up to them from somewhere deeper in the castle that Jon had not yet shown her. Olly looked to Mirra, blushed slightly and quickly looked away. “Pardon my lady, I didn’t mean to intrude.”  
“It’s alright. You do have a job to do after all.” Mirra replied.  
“You’re free to go for this evening Olly. Just be sure to keep a look out in case any of the Theirin soldiers need anything. You’re free of my service for the night but not from theirs.” Jon told the boy who looked quite thrilled at having a mostly free evening.  
“Of course ser, I’ll make sure they want for nothing should they need me.” Without a single word more the boy dashed off to who knows where. It’s not like there was much fun to be had in Castle Black.   
“If you don’t mind my asking, what is Stannis Baratheon doing in Castle Black? And with a full army at that.” Lady Mirra asked the man once the boy was gone.   
“He came looking for me actually from what I understand. It was his army that put a final end to the war with the free people as they rode and outnumbered them all. He came here wanting my aid in taking back Winterfell for my family. He aims to restore Winterfell to the Stark’s and in exchange, the people of the north join him as he goes to King’s Landing to take back his throne. He offered to officially make me a Stark if I helped him. Refusing was one of the hardest thing I ever had to do.”  
“Then why did you refuse him?”  
“I took a vow and swore an oath to the Night’s Watch. They’re my people now.”  
“I’m sure he understands why you didn’t.”  
Jon laughed at that. “Understanding and accepting are two very different things Lady Mirra. There are some people that you need to meet.” He opened a door that lead down a short staircase to a small library that many people would consider to be quite large.  
Mirra slowly looked around and ran her hand along the spines on one shelf. She smiled. “I love books.”  
“Really? I didn’t know many people enjoyed reading anymore.” A larger man with a sweet face came around a shelf farther in the back.  
“Lady Mirra Theirin, this is Samuel Tarly, my closest friend.”  
“How do you do my lady?” He said to her as he set a book down on a table in front of a young girl who was reading softly to a baby.  
“The woman behind him is Gilly.”  
Gilly looked up at her and seemed surprised for a moment. “And this is baby Sam. Would you like to hold him Lady Mirra?”  
“I’m not very good with babies I’m afraid so I probably shouldn’t.” Mirra said shifted her weight uncomfortably from one foot to another. She never had gotten on well with children. She didn’t know if it was her or them, but when they were young and little like that they just made her more uncomfortable than anything.   
Gilly looked slightly hurt as she stroked the baby’s head. “It’s alright. Babies aren’t for everyone.”  
“What brings you here to Castle Black? Business from your father?” Sam asked her.  
“I came with the soldiers my father sent. I’ve never been one for dresses or balls, I’d rather ride horses and fight with swords so I came here to lend my assistance with my men.”  
“You don’t look much like Lady Baratheon or Lady Melisandre. They’re always wearing dresses and never carry any weapons.” Gilly spoke up quietly.  
“Lady is my title cause I’m noble born. It’s respectful, doesn’t mean I have to act like it though, all dresses and balls and marrying the right man.” Mirra laughed at the thought. “I’d much rather dress the way I do and carry a sword and marry for love. Life is better that way.”  
Jon Snow smiled at that. Arya would have loved her, they were just alike. “Would you care to see your room before it’s time for dinner?” He asked.  
Mirra turned to look at her escort. “That’s probably a good idea. It is getting rather warm to be walking around inside with this cloak on. I’ll see you both later, maybe you can recommend a good book for me to read in my down time.”  
“I can recommend you several. I’ll search for them while you’re gone.” Sam smiled, overjoyed to find someone else in the castle who liked to read just as he did.   
“Sam was starting to get discouraged, he never though he’d meet someone who enjoyed reading as he did, not here of all places anyway.” Jon stated casually as they resumed their walk of the castle.   
“I didn’t come here to read, I could have done that at my own castle but I also can’t imagine that I’ll be training or assisting you all the time.”  
“True enough. You will have your nights unless you choose to take a watch or stay up with me during my own.”  
“That sounds like it could be more exciting than reading by myself every night.”  
Jon laughed. “Have you ever been on watch before Lady Mirra? I assure you it’s quite boring.”   
“I want to experience all of it. I’ve spent all my time at home simply riding and training and trying to act like the lady my mother always wanted me to around others. I don’t care how boring it is, it’s different.” Mirra replied with a set to her jaw, prepared for anything that being at the castle had to offer her.   
“As you wish. Here is your room.” Jon opened a door to a room close to the end of the hallway. “This is the King’s Tower, nicest rooms in Castle Black but they aren’t much. This tower hasn’t really been used much in the last century except for by Tyrion Lannister years ago and now again but Stannis and his company. I hope this will be okay for you.”  
“Thank you.” Mirra walked into the room and did a quick survey. It was small but she didn’t care. The room contained a bed, a chest to hold her clothes, a peg on the wall for a cloak and another for a weapon. Mirra unlatched her black cloak and hung it on the wall, opting to keep her weapons and her coat on. She also that off in the corner was her trunk from home, already delivered by someone. She turned back to the doorway where Jon Snow stood leaning on the doorframe watching her with some interest.   
“How different does it feel here from Castle Theirin?” He finally asked her after a time.  
“It will take some getting used to. It’s more the atmosphere than anything else. Always tense and prepared for war, for winter. Knowing that any day you could die at any moment of any day and many people might not even know what it is you did for them. Like the war you mentioned with the wildlings, you lost half your force and only those in the north know because you sent ravens for aid. No one else in Westeros has any idea you stopped an invasion and probably never will.” Mirra responded looking into the man’s brown eyes.  
“That’s what it means to be a brother of the Night’s Watch, you sacrifice everything and people don’t even know. They think it’s somewhere to send criminals instead of the gallows or the executioner’s blade and they only vaguely understand what it is that we do here. You, my lady, are one of the few with a real understanding of what we do and what that means.”  
“You’re all that stands to protect us from what’s on the other side of that wall. If you fall, as do we all.” Mirra said grimly as a chill ran down her spine. She wasn’t afraid to be here, more afraid of what failure could mean for all of the seven kingdoms.   
“And that is why we are here and I requested the men that I did. Speaking of the wall, would you like to see it? From the top I mean.”  
The woman smiled, her eyes showing her excitement. “Yes please. I’ve always wondered about what was on the other side. She walked past him out of the room and back into the hallway.  
“Lady Mirra.” She turned around at the sound of her name,  
“You will want this where we’re going. It is significantly colder at the top with the wind.” Jon took her cloak from the peg and closed the door behind him handing her the cloak.  
Mirra gratefully took it and hooked it over her shoulders again following the young commander back down the hallway and once again out into the courtyard. At the far end right up against the wall, they boarded a small lift that appeared it would take them all the way to the top. Jon Snow nodded to a younger boy standing by a large wheel who then began to turn it and the lift started to move.   
Mirra looked around her with a smile on her face. “This is amazing! I’ve never seen anything like this before!”  
“That was my reaction the first time I came here and rode to the top of the wall. Lady Mirra do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”  
She turned from watching the castle and its men get smaller and smaller and looked to the man beside her. “I don’t mind.”  
“You told me why you came here and gave me the message from your mother, but what I don’t understand is that if your parents are so worried about you then why did they allow you to come at all?”  
“Well ‘they’ didn’t, my father was the one who allowed me to come here against my mother’s wishes. He let me come because he knew that staying in the castle and avoiding the life my mother wanted for me was making me miserable. I was happiest out on a ride with Shadow, away from everyone and expectations. My father trained me with a sword when I was young and as I got older, he brought a sword master to the castle to train me regularly. He knows how good I am and that I can handle myself well enough to be here and to actually be of great assistance. My father has faith in me and in you as well to send me here. He trusts that I’m skilled enough to keep myself alive and safe but the biggest reason is that he just wants to see me happy and he knew that wouldn’t happen if I had stayed home.”  
“Your mother is really that bad you didn’t want to be at home?”  
“She loves me and she means well but she wants to force a life on me that I don’t want because she thinks that is the best thing for me. My father wouldn’t allow it and that is probably the only reason she never got to marry me off as she wished. She went behind my back and my father’s back to try to marry me to your brother even.”  
“Robb?!” He was astonished, he didn’t know that anyone had had intentions to marry Robb or have him married.   
“Yes,” Mirra laughed, “I never wanted to. I don’t want to ever marry anyone I don’t love, no matter how good a man they are and Robb was a good man.”  
Jon silently nodded and let her finish speaking.  
“My mother was so angry when his raven returned saying that he would have found it an honor but that he was already married to someone he loved. I myself sent the raven back to him congratulating him and his wife and wishing them both the most happiness they could have and apologizing for my mother’s deceit. I laughed about it for weeks and she never tried anything quite like that again. But yes, that’s what it’s like being at home. I love my parents but needed to lead my own life, my father saw that and allowed me to do this.”  
“Well I’m glad you’ here, I think it’s an honor.” He smiled at her. “Here we are. Ready to see beyond the wall?” He opened the gate to the life and stepped out, offering her his hand which she took and stepped out herself.  
“I’ve been ready to see it since I got here.” She laughed and followed him to the edge of the wall where her breath was taken away.   
“I’ve never seen anything like this before.” Mirra stood right up to the edge of the wall and looked out across the vast expanse of the true north hidden behind the wall. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the chill air before opening them again. “It’s so beautiful, it’s almost hard to believe that anything dangerous truly lurks out there.”  
“Many beautiful things are also dangerous my lady.” Jon replied standing beside her on the wall and looking out over the wilds.  
Mirra’s brow knitted slightly in some confusion and she thought of asking him if he was referring to her but she thought better of it and said nothing instead.  
“Bran is out there somewhere and I can only hope that he can handle himself and stay alive.” He said sadly. “I wish I knew what possessed him to make that journey but he didn’t reveal much to Sam.”  
“Something about a dream and a three eyed raven he had to find.” Jon looked to her puzzled as to how she would know this. “Osha told me shortly after she and Rickon arrived at my family’s castle. He wanted her to take him but she wouldn’t go over the wall again, not knowing what was over there and Bran wouldn’t allow Rickon to come so he sent them both to my father for protection.”  
“You know I’ve been over the wall before. I was gone for quite a long time actually.”  
Mirra turned to look at him completely stunned. “You spent months out there all alone?”  
“I wasn’t alone. I was first with the Night’s Watch, then with Ygritte and the free people.”  
“By free people do you mean the wildlings?”  
“I do. I’ve met them and they aren’t as wild as they seem from this side of the wall. They are people just like you and I and they only want to live and be safe from the white walkers and from winter as do we all. They call themselves the free people because they have to answer to no one, no king, no lords, no one.”  
“Free people then.” Mirra replied with a nod thinking that sounded better than wildlings anyway. “Tell me what is was like, I want to know everything.” Her dark blue eyes shone waiting to hear of adventure.  
“Do you want to go back down first? It’s quite a long story.”  
“I like it up here. It’s peaceful and quiet and the view is much better.” She smiled as she carefully sat down on the wall and Jon Snow sat beside her and began to tell her his story from beyond the wall, every last piece.  
It was quite a long time before Jon finished his tale, leaving nothing out. Mirra simply sat in stunned silence for a moment, her long legs hanging off the side of the wall bouncing back and forth. Jon regarded her carefully, waiting for some sort of response as well as any sign she might fall right off the side of the wall and plummet to her untimely death.  
“I’m so sorry Jon, I had no idea. I’m sorry about Ygritte and that you were put in a situation forcing you to choose between the free people and the Night’s Watch.”  
“It isn’t your fault, people on both sides forced the confrontation, there was no way to resolve it peacefully, I did what I had to, but that wasn’t without some amount of doubt. I’m more sorry about the innocent people caught in the middle, those people in the villages they sacked and murdered. They had nothing to do with any of it but that didn’t matter, they died anyway.” The young lord commander stared sadly off across the haunted forest, thinking of all those lives that had been lost. He turned to look at Mirra. “You called me Jon.” He said it casually, just a fact. “You haven’t called me Jon since we were children, that last day at Winterfell.”  
“I’m sorry, it just came out that way.”  
Jon Snow laughed softly despite the story he just told her. “Don’t be sorry. I’d rather you just call me Jon. Lord Snow and my lord and lord commander, just sound strange coming off your tongue. I’ve known you a long time, you don’t have to be formal with me.” He said the titles with a slight air of disdain, obviously not liking any of them very much.  
Mirra smiled and nodded her acceptance. “Very well. You can call me Mirra then, not Lady Mirra. I’m not a lady, not here anyway. I’m just a warrior, same as everyone else.”  
Jon opened his mouth to protest at the informality of it seeing as she was truly a noble lady from a noble house with a noble name but then he decided against it. She wanted it this way and he had known her since childhood even though it had been 7 years since they had last seen each other before today. “If that’s what you wish.” He told her, “It just might take some getting used to.”  
“From everything you’ve told me, the men picked the best man to be lord commander. You’re a good man and you have done some amazing things for these people. You saved them from being overrun by the free people and you would have ended everything had King Stannis and his men not showed up and stopped it themselves. Don’t get down on yourself for all the bad that happened, it couldn’t have been prevented. You did what you could and you’re still doing it.”  
“Thank you, sometimes it’s hard to remember that when you think about all the things you lost.” Jon Snow carefully stood up and moved back from the ledge as he carefully watched Mirra do the same, always ready to grab her hand should she slip but she didn’t, she stood up just as gracefully as she seemed to move.   
She stood there a moment just looking out over the wall and across the forest. “I think I made the right decision in choosing to come here.” She said more to herself than to Jon but he nodded his approval as she turned and followed him across the wall and back down to the courtyard.


	4. Secret Rides and Secret Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mirra and Jon take a ride from Castle Black out into the woods and he gets her opinion on something important.

It had been some months of getting into a routine before anything of much note seemed to happen. Lady Mirra Theirin spent most of her days with Jon and learning all there was to know about the Night’ Watch and Castle Black. When she wasn’t with him, she was training in the yard, which would often put the recruits to shame to go against her. She spent her nights in her room reading one book or another that Sam would recommend for her from the library, except on those nights she chose to take watch with Jon and stand all the wall. If Mirra wasn’t in any of those places she was most likely in the library conversing with Princess Shireen or sometimes just reading together. There was no shortage of activity in those few months, just much of the usual stuff that goes on in the castle and beyond the wall. The day that that changed was one of the few days that Mirra wasn’t with Jon and thus he finally found her in the library with Princess Shireen and to his surprise, King Stannis was also with them.  
He climbed down the stairs into the library to find Mirra sitting beside the young princess and telling her tales of some of the rides she had been on and some of the adventures she had had back at Castle Theirin. Shireen seemed captivated and Stannis seemed slightly amused although his face would never show it. He sat at the opposite side of the table and appeared to be more in thought than actually paying much attention to whatever story the young noble was regaling his daughter with. Unlike Gilly, the Queen didn’t mind her daughter spending time with Mirra seeing as Mirra was a noble and from a good family and not a wildling girl from the other side of the wall. Shireen seemed happy for the company and Jon Snow was almost unwilling to disturb her but he needed Mirra.   
“Pardon me, your grace.” Stannis Baratheon turned at his voice as Jon stepped off the final stair. Mirra also looked up, her deep blue eyes catching his own. “I need to speak with Lady Mirra, alone.”  
Stannis nodded as Mirra stood from the table. “I’ll come find you later Princess and finish my story.”  
Shireen smiled at her. “Okay, I can’t wait.”  
With that Mirra turned from the room, grabbed her cloak off the wall and swung it over her shoulders before following the lord commander from the room and out into the hallway.  
“What did you want to speak to me about Jon?” Mirra asked him as they continued the hallway and out into the courtyard. It was still somewhat weird hearing him call her Lady Mirra after some months of being just Mirra even though in the presence of others he was still quite formal.   
“Not here. It is of a somewhat sensitive nature and there are those in the castle that I’m sure wouldn’t exactly approve of this plan.” This piqued her interest even more so knowing that it was something people might not like and that was going to be in on this.   
“Where are we going then?”   
“Do you want to take a ride?” He asked her in return.  
Mirra’s lovely face broke into a smile. She hadn’t been able to really take Shadow from the stables since arriving at Castle Black. She knew that stallion would be itching for a ride just as she was. “Anywhere in mind?”  
“Just away from here for a while.” Jon stated simply as they arrived the stables and prepped their horses for the ride. Mirra quickly tied her long ebony hair into a braid and pulled an apple from her saddle bag for the horse who knickered happily. The pair mounted the horses, both as black as the clothes they wore, and moved towards the front gate.  
“Open the gate!” Jon called to the brother standing off to the side.  
“When should we expect you back lord commander?” The man replied as he opened the gate for them.  
“Before too long. If we don’t return within a few hours send out a search party.”  
“As you say lord commander.” The man replied as the pair rode out into the world and the gates closed with a heavy thud behind them.  
They rode in silence for a time with Jon leading the way into the forest. Mirra felt at home again on the back of Shadow. She missed riding, she missed the wind in her hair, the chill of the air against her face, the trees flying by her, and the feeling of flying as she flew through the woods, nothing but the sound of the horse’s hooves on the ground and the horses own breathing. They rode together for a time before Jon slowed down and eventually stopped. Mirra pulled Shadow to a stop alongside him and dismounted, trusting the horse not to run off on her. Jon, however, did not have such trust and instead chose to tie his mount to a nearby tree.   
“I figured you would love the chance to ride again.” Jon told her as they walked towards a small clearing in the trees. “And no one from the watch would overhear us out here.”  
“Yes Shadow was starting to get quite restless in those stables. He isn’t the type of horse to be content to spend most of his time indoors.” Mirra replied pulling her hood over her head to combat some of the cold.   
“Aye yes, the stallions of House Theirin, your house sigil suits you. The only people with mounts to rival those of your family are the Dothraki.” Jon remembered the lessons he had learned as a child of all the houses of Westeros, especially those in the north. House Theirin was known for its stallions, as beautiful as they were fast. The horses were wild creatures and it took a special hand to tame them and to ride them. It was fitting that the family sigil was a black stallion on a dark blue banner.   
“Best in all of Westeros.” Mirra replied. “But I don’t think you came here to talk to me of my family’s horses.”  
“That I did not. As I said, I have a plan but it is one that some in the order will not agree with, especially Ser Throne.” Jon told her carefully, weighing her reactions.  
“Throne be damned!” Mirra said it with a vengeance. She hated that man, hated the looks he gave Jon behind his back, hated the way he looked at her like she knew nothing and did not belong, hated how he still tried to act as though he was in charge when he was not. “He isn’t lord commander, you are. The men will follow you, whatever this plan is.”  
“I mean to bring the free people through the gate and into Westeros.”  
“What? Are you serious?” Mirra questioned slowly, not outraged and disapproving, more curious as to why. She thought as most people did that the job of the Night’s Watch was to keep the wildlings on that side of the wall and protect the people of the realm from them.  
“I am.” He said catching her eye. “The Night’s Watch are supposed to protect people, all people, the includes those north of the wall. They aren’t our enemy, the white walkers are. I can’t just leave all those people on that side of the wall to die just because they were unlucky enough to be born on that side. If they get left over there they will be killed and then they will join the army of the dead and give us even more of them to fight. I intend to give them the land that people refuse to live on and take for their own. They can farm and they can set up a life, safe on this side of the wall as everyone else is.”  
“You have a big heart Jon Snow.” Mirra told him with a smile. “It’s about time the Night’s Watch had a lord commander who cared for all people. I like your plan and I support you so my men will support you. But you’re right, some in your brotherhood might not, they must be made to.”  
Jon nodded as he slowly paced the slowly. “I’ll make an announcement once we return but first I need a word with Stannis. I’ll need his fleet to get to their meeting place and to carry them all back to the wall.”  
“Will he do it? Lend you his entire fleet?” Mirra asked watching him.  
“I think so. He doesn’t need them right now. If he still intends to take Winterfell from the Bolton’s even without me, he won’t need them for that either.”  
“What about the free people? Will they even listen to you and if they do listen without killing you right there, will they trust you enough to take your offer?”  
“I have someone who can help with that. His name is Tormund and he’s one of them. He has been our prisoner at Castle Black since the attack. We were friends when I was over the wall, a part of them. He will listen and I think he’ll be able to make the others listen and see reason as well.”  
Mirra nodded thinking it over. “It will work. They can’t all hate your order enough that would rather face the white walkers alone than go with you to safety.”  
“I hope that’s true.” Jon told her stopping in front of her.  
“Let me go with you.”  
“It’s way too dangerous beyond the wall. If you die, your mother would kill me and everyone here.”   
“I came here to help you, let me help you. I’ve never been beyond the wall and I want to see it. I didn’t come here to hide out in the castle and miss all the fun. You say it’s dangerous and I don’t disagree but you’ve seen me fight, you know I can hold my own and I’m good with a sword, not as good as you are of course, but good enough. I won’t die and if I did, then tell my father I died doing what I came here for, protecting people, saving people. He would understand.”  
Jon sighed. “You are quite possibly one of the most stubborn people I have ever met. If you really want to come with me, I won’t stop you. But you must understand that your army cannot come. If we showed up with a fighting force, there wouldn’t be any negotiation, it would be a fight. I only tend the trip to be, myself, you, Ed, and Tormund, and men to captain the ships but stay on board.”  
“I understand. I don’t need any army to protect me.”  
Jon laughed as he started to walk back to their horses. “The more time I spend with you, the more I’m beginning to see that.”  
Mirra smiled at that as they came upon on their horses. Shadow was just where Mirra and left him, untied and everything. Jon seemed amazed. “Does he always do that? Just stay where you leave him without being tied up.”  
“Yes he does.” Mirra approached the stallion and stroked his mane. “It took me a long time to train him to do that but ever since then, there’s never been any problems.” She pulled herself up on his back as Jon did the same. “Let’s go get this plan of yours into motion.”   
Jon nodded and a memory came into his mind, of himself and Robb racing back to Winterfell after an execution. The memory sparked an idea. “Mirra do you know how to get back to Castle Black from here?”  
Her beautiful face looked puzzled as she looked over at him. “Yeah I know where it is from here.”  
Jon smiled at her. “I’ll race you.” With that he took off knowing she would follow and that if he had any chance of beating that stallion, he needed the head start.   
When Jon arrived at the gates of Castle Black, which now stood open, Mirra was already there waiting for him. Her long black braid had come undone and now her hair hung down wildly, tousled by the wind. Her cheeks were flushed with color from the cold air against her skin and she was still catching her breath as she sat upon Shadow with a giant grin on her face. She couldn’t have been there too long before him as she was in his sights through most of their race.   
“Even with a head start you couldn’t beat me.” Mirra laughed as he rode up beside her. “You race well though, I needed that.” She smiled at him.   
“Robb and I used to race all the time when we were children. Maybe next time I can race one of your horses.” He said to her with a laugh.   
“If you think you can handle one of mine that is.” Her grin was amused, light hearted.  
The pair walked their horses back into the castle as the large gates swung shut behind them. A couple younger boys came forward to take their horses as they dismounted, Mirra giving Shadow a kiss on the snout before handing her reins over to one of the boys.   
“I need to go speak to Stannis and then to Tormund. This whole thing will take some time and we need to start getting prepared as soon as possible.” Jon said softly once the boys had taken the horses to the stables. “I’ll come find you later and tell you what happened.”   
“Alright, I’ll be around.” Mirra replied. With that Jon turned and headed up the stairs to Stannis’s chambers to ask him for ships. Mirra walked off to find the maester, she wanted to send a raven home to her father. It had been some time since she had sent word home and she didn’t want her parents to worry after her well-being, especially knowing she would be going beyond the wall she wanted to have told them something should this mission not go quite as planned.


	5. A Night Atop the Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mirra pulls her first watch on top of the wall with Jon and Ghost for company.

It was nightfall by the time Jon found Mirra again. The young woman stood on top of the wall with Ghost at her side. Both turned as Jon stepped from the lift and onto the wall itself.   
“You pulled watch tonight?”  
Mirra shook her head as the young man joined her. “I offered to take it from Sam so he could spend some time with Gilly. I hope you don’t mind that I released Ghost from his pen. It makes me sad to see him there all the time. I figured he needed some air and no one would object if I brought him up here with me.”  
Jon came up beside her and stroked the great wolf’s head. “You’re right. He shouldn’t be kept penned up but he makes people nervous and it seems to be the only way. Any time you want to take him out it’s alright. He seems to like you and enjoy your company. Direwolves are smart like that. They know things about people, what kind of a person they are. In that way they are smarter than most people.”  
Mirra couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I know exactly what you mean. Too many people are wolves in sheep’s clothing, they can’t be trusted and no one sees that. I’ve always heard that direwolves are smarter than people and the more people I seem to meet the more I believe it.”   
“You and me both.” Jon replied looking out beyond the wall, thinking of where they would be going and what they would be doing.  
“What did Stannis say about his fleet?” Mirra asked, breaking the momentary silence.   
“We can borrow them. He says he’s going to take Winterfell back from the Bolton’s even if I don’t help him to do so and that he doesn’t need ships for that so they are ours to use until he needs them back.”   
“That’s good news then. We need ships and the Bolton’s have no right to Winterfell.”  
“That is true but Winterfell is a very defensable fortress, especially for someone who knows the North. Stannis and his men will have a tough fight on their hands.”   
“And Tormund? What did he say?”  
“He agreed to come with us and to help, it just took some convincing.” Jon told her sounding tired.   
“Does he think that the free people will agree to come with us?”  
“He says they’ll agree to see us but that’s about all he can promise. I killed Mance Rayder and some of them will see it for the mercy that it was, others will simply see that I betrayed him and want no part in what I offer.”  
“Hopefully the danger posed by the whitewalkers means more to them than hating you.”  
Jon sighed and ran his hand along Ghost’s back. “The free people are stubborn. We will see what happens.”  
Mirra nodded, leaning back against a wooden pillar and crossing her arms over her chest. Jon watched her for a moment, saying nothing before he spoke up.  
“Mirra you don’t have to go beyond the wall. You can stay here and command things in my absence if you wish to.”  
Mirra Theirin laughed, a lot louder than she intended. “I’m not going to stay here and miss all the fun, you must be joking if you think I’d do that. Your men wouldn’t respect me as their commander anyway. I’m not a man and I’m not one of them.”  
“I had to at least try.” The young man replied quietly turning from her to look out past the wall. “Did you send a raven home to your father?” He asked her, changing the subject.  
“I did this afternoon. In case something happened to make sure he heard from me one last time.”  
“Let us just hope it doesn’t come to that. I’m going to be making the announcement to the order come morning. I need to decide just how to phrase it.”  
“Doesn’t sound like you’ll be getting much sleep either then.”  
“Neither do I. I’ll stand watch with you and Ghost and try to come up with something that doesn’t sound like everyone will hate it.”  
“The men believe in you Jon. They voted you in as Lord Commander.”  
“Only half of them did. It was Maester Aemon’s final vote that made me Lord Commander. Half of the men wanted Ser Alliser.”  
“Well he isn’t Lord Commander, you are. They will follow you.”  
“You have more faith in the men here than I do then.” Jon said to her as he thought about the reactions of the men in the common hall. In his mind he’d be lucky they didn’t just kill him right there for even proposing the idea of welcoming wildlings into Westeros.   
“I have faith in their Lord Commander.” Mirra told him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this one was shorter than my others, it didn't really fit in with the previous chapter or the next one so it became its own short chapter.


	6. The Annoucement that Changed Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon makes his big announcement to the Night's Watch with the support of Lady Mirra and Lord Stannis.

The sun was just beginning to rise when an older man of the Night’s Watch stepped off of the lift to relieve Mirra of duty. “Milady, Lord Commander.” The man said to them each in turn as he took their place at the end of the wall, giving Ghost a large berth as they passed him.   
“I need all the brothers in the common hall in an hour. I have an announcement to make.” Jon said as he passed. “Tell anyone you see. The Theirin soldiers as well.”  
“Of course lord commander.”  
The pair rode down the lift in silence, Jon thinking on his speech and what it meant and Mirra being respectful of his thoughts and allowing him the time he needed to process everything.   
“I’ll meet you in the common hall.” Mirra said to him as she stepped from the lift, her boots crunching on snow in the yard.   
Jon nodded his acknowledgement as he took Ghost and headed to the stables as Mirra turned on her heel and walked off towards the King’s Tower to find something less frozen to wear, her long braid swinging softly as she walked.   
Mirra arrived in her room to find a fire already going and wondered if Gilly had done it. The girl had started doing things like that for Mirra not long after she arrived at the castle. Mirra had told her that she didn’t have to, that she could handle it herself but Gilly seemed to like doing it as she continued even after that. Regardless of how, Mirra was grateful for the warmth as she stripped for her cold clothes of the previous day. Even with the fire, the chill of the north was everywhere and seemed to reach all the way into your bones. Mirra wasn’t quite used to that yet, feeling cold all of the time. She was from the north and had experienced winter before but she was only a young child then and didn’t remember much about it. She dressed again in furs and leathers, much of her clothes looking the same as she knew that’s all she needed. She simply stood in the room for a moment once she was dressed and watched the fire dancing in her fireplace. It wasn’t until she heard many footsteps heading towards the common hall that she turned from the fire and left the room. She hesitated a moment at the door, her hand on Wintersbreath. She opted to bring the sword and fastened it to her hip before finally leaving the room. Normally she left her steel in her room at meals but felt that this might be a good time to have it handy just in case, she knew that things could turn ugly quickly.   
By the time Mirra entered the common hall over half the men of the Night’s Watch were already assembled and the soldiers she brought along were also there mostly standing at the edges, not quite feeling like they belonged. Mirra’s presence didn’t earn quite as many stares as it used to, she noticed most of the roar of voices was about why the lord commander were call together all of Castle Black. Mirra quietly slipped along the edges of the room and mounted the stairs to the great table were the heads of all the separate divisions of the order sat. Mirra noticed Ser Alliser Throne staring daggers into her as she took her own seat at Jon’s right hand. The lady elected to ignore the man and instead looked to Jon who appeared slightly nervous beside her.   
“What are Lord Stannis and Lord Davvos doing here?” She asked in a whisper leaning in to Jon’s shoulder so he would hear her.  
The young lord commander turned to her and whispered in her ear, “I thought it best that they were here to confirm the plan and that they are indeed lending ships to this mission. Also if things should turn ugly, they fight for us. I see that you prepared for that alternative as well.” Jon missed nothing as he took notice of Mirra’s sword.  
“I wasn’t going to be caught in a battle with no weapon.”  
“Let us hope it does not come to that.” Jon replied turning back to face the room.   
Jon and Mirra seemed to be the only people in the room not engaged in conversation with someone. As Mirra looked around the room, she caught the eye of one of her father’s officers and beckoned him to the table.   
“Yes my lady?” The man said on his approach to where she sat behind the table.  
Mirra stood slightly and leaned across the table. “If anything untold should happen, I need the soldiers taking up arms with us.” She gestured with her to herself, Jon Snow, Lord Stannis and Lord Davvos.  
The man’s eyes seemed slightly nervous at her words, not that there might be battle but that there might be battle in such a confined space. “Of course Lady Mirra, I will pass on the word.  
“Thank you.” She replied with a nod as the man wondered back to his post and said something to the soldier standing beside him.  
As Mirra sat back in her chair, she noticed that there were no longer men filing in the doors and one look to her left told her that Jon had discovered the same thing. He gave her a look that shared that it was time before he stood up from his own chair and called for order. A slow hush fell over the common hall as conversations were ended and all eyes turned to the lord commander.   
“Brothers! I have called you all here today because I need to make an announcement and it affects all of us here.” Mirra looked across the sea of faces and saw that Thorne seemed to be looking caught smug, more so than normal. No doubt he thought that Jon was stepping down as lord commander. This brought a small smirk to Mirra’s face. Keep dreaming, she thought, you won’t like this news.   
“The purpose of the Night’s Watch is to protect the realm from the Whitewalkers, from winter and all its dangers. We have all done so faithfully for centuries since the realm began and the order was established.” Jon paused a moment as the men began to nod to his words and some shouted calls of here here.  
“However,” the young man continued more gravely, “we have also been failing at our sworn duty.” This was followed by confused murmurings as the men looked to one another hoping that someone else understood.   
“There are people we aren’t protecting as we should be.” Jon continued after holding up his hand to stop the voices. “There are those north of the wall who need protection from the whitewalkers just as those in the realm do.”  
“You mean the wildlings?!” A voice called from somewhere in the crowd.  
“Indeed I do mean the wildlings.”  
There was cries of outrage and angry voices yelling, sounds of fists hitting hard wooden tables. Jon’s voice was lost in the swell and no one could hear his calls for order.  
Mirra bit her lip and picked up a heavy metal goblet from the table and hurled it as hard as she could towards a pillar in the center of the room. The cup smashed into the pillar with a loud banging noises before clattering to the floor. The room fell silent as all eyes turned to the lady. She said nothing as she resumed her seat and nodded her head in Jon’s direction. The silence remained as Jon continued speaking.  
“The Night’s Watch as been killing wildlings and hunting them down as if that is our mission and it is not. We are supposed to protect all people from winter, from the whitewalkers, and that includes the wildlings. It is not their fault that they were born on the wrong side of the wall and they shouldn’t be punished for that and left to die. There are horrors on that side of the wall, I have seen them, more than any of you. I have killed one, here in the castle walls, it is even worse on that side.” This received some nods of agreement from Jon’s friends, those of the order who had seen what was out there and understood where their lord commander was coming from, and from those men more compassionate than some of their brethren.   
Mirra noticed that most of her own soldiers looked to her for guidance and when she nodded her approval at the speech, they turned from her and looked back to the young man some had met as a boy.   
“I have a plan and I know some of you will not agree but you must trust that it is the right thing. I intend to bring the wildlings through the wall and give them land in the far north that people refuse to live on, farm on, and claim.”  
“That land is unclaimed because of wildlings raids!” Someone called.  
“There will be no reason to raid once they have land and can farm their own food and raise their own animals and build their own houses. There will be rules of course to them coming to this side which of course including no raiding.”  
“And what do you think of this plan Lady Mirra? Your family is an ancient one of the north after all.”  
Jon turned to her as well as she stood to address the room. “My family is of the north, has been since the beginning. My father would agree with me when I say that I support your lord commander. No one deserves to suffer at the true hands of winter and the whitewalkers. They may eventually become a concern for everyone in the realm but until then those on this side of the wall are safe. The wildlings deserve that courtesy as well. The north does not fear wildlings, we fear the whitewalkers and will take all the allies we can get to go against them.”  
“And what of you Lord Stannis? You are true king of the realm and planning on taking King’s Landing from the usurper. What does the king say to allowing wildlings in his kingdom?”  
Stannis Baratheon stood as he told his thoughts. “I am providing my own ships for this mission, that is what I say to wildlings in my realm. I am not threatened by people and nor should you be, winter is the real threat. Your lord commander is wise, you should trust in him.”  
Thorne had surprisingly not said a single word for the whole duration of the gathering and had instead only sat there attempting to skewer Jon and Mirra and Lord Stannis with his icy gaze. He continued to say nothing as more of the men joined in agreement after hearing the king’s thoughts of this.  
As Stannis took his seat once more, Jon began to finish his speech. “Even if you don’t agree with my plan, you know that the Night King takes the bodies of the dead and raises them anew to fight in his army. Even if you don’t like the wildlings and don’t agree my decision and reasons for bringing them here, you have to at least agree with the fact that if those same wildlings die on that side of the wall, as they all would, they would be more bodies added to the Night King’s army. You all saw the numbers of Mance Rayder’s wildling army. Do you truly want that many more people added to the army of the dead when they could have been safely brought through the wall to live and bolster our own armies?” This final thought sent a chill down many spills as the brothers in black remembered the sheer number of wildlings they fought that night some time ago and in rememberence more men fell in line with Jon Snow’s plan. Only a select remained unmoved, Thorne among them, but they were outnumbered and they said nothing.   
“It is settled then. We will soon set sail and I shall meet with the clan leaders to see if they will accept this plan. Myself, Lady Mirra, Tormund, and Ed will all be going to the gathering. I will take a couple men with me to remain on each ship as well as the ship captains, everyone else will stay behind at Castle Black. Go now and return to your duties.” Jon said as he sat back down in his chair feeling as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.  
The room slowly emptied leaving behind only Jon, Mirra, Stannis, and Sam. Samwell Tarly approached the table and looked at each person in turn. “Can I go with you?” He asked to his friend.  
“I need you here Sam, to look after things while I’m gone. And Gilly and baby Sam need you here too. Who will look after them if you aren’t here? Besides, this gathering might not go nicely and if it doesn’t, we will have to fight our way out and might not even make it back. I won’t let you walk into that.”  
Sam nodded his consent. “That’s all true. Without either of us here who knows what might happen to Gilly and the baby.” He then turned his attention to Mirra. “My lady, you could stay here too, safer beyond our walls than out there.”  
Mirra Theirin laughed lightly and pushed some of her long hair back over her shoulder. “I don’t stay behind when there is excitement to be had. I can handle myself.”  
“An interesting lady you are Lady Mirra. Someone’s daughter will be fascinated with stories of you some day.” Lord Stannis said to her as he rose from the table and looked to Jon Snow who stood with him. “I will be leaving Castle Black to take Winterfell within the next few days. My men have been making preparations and are almost finished now. If you should change your mind about my offer, you know where to find me. Winterfell will always be yours whenever you are ready to come home.” With that said, the man climbed down the stairs from the dais and gave them a small bow. “Lord Commander, Lady Mirra.” He then left the room with all the air of a true king.   
“Mirra are your soldiers on our side of this plan?” All of the formalities dropped away once the door closed behind Lord Stannis.   
“Of course. Once they saw that I was a part of it and had no issues, neither did they. It also seems you won over most of the brotherhood.” Mirra replied as they decended from the dais and were once again level with Sam.   
“They wouldn’t have even heard me had it not been for your quick thinking.” The young man was of course mentioning the goblet that hurtled through the room into a crash landing.   
“Scared me half to death!” Sam piped up. “I honestly think they were afraid of what the lady might throw next if they didn’t quiet down.”  
“I highly doubt any men of the Night’s Watch are honestly afraid of me.”   
“You have bested damn near all of them out in the sparring yard.” Jon replied with a laugh. “It wasn’t for their lack of trying to beat you either. They put all they had into it, you’re just better. I don’t think they wanted to test your knife throwing abilities tonight.”  
“You watch me spar?” The young lady was slightly stunned. She just assumed that he had more important things to do than observe the training exercises and sparring matches.   
“From time to time. You’re undefeated against everyone you’ve gone against so far.”   
“Jon?” Sam asked quietly interrupting and turning the subject back to the plan. “Ser Alliser looked most unpleased and infuriated at your proposal. He also remained unmoved no matter what it was you said.” The pudgy man nervously wrung his hands together thinking of what that could mean, knowing what being on Thorne’s bad side meant.  
“Aye, I noticed but when the men sided with me he had no right to say anything to challenge me. The order is on my side as I am their lord commander.” Jon sounded more sure than he felt and wondered if he should in fact be worried.  
“Ser Alliser wouldn’t dare defy his lord commander. He has no allies and would then become a traitor, punishment is death.” Mirra added, the spite returned to her voice whenever she spoke of him. There was something about that man that just made her feel uneasy. She had an instant dislike for him the moment she met him back when she first arrived and the months since then had only added to her reasons of distrust and contempt.  
“I can’t imagine he’ll just let it stand.” Jon Snow said thoughtfully. “I am somewhat surprised he has kept his cool this long when he didn’t get the post and I did. That’s not what’s important though, not right now. There is a lot of preparation to do before we set sail for Hardhome and I will need help from both of you.”  
Mirra and Sam both nodded their approval as a door opened behind them. Mirra and Jon both turned quickly, each with a hand on the pommel of their sword, ready to defend if they had to. An older, plump man emerged with a large tub to collect all the dishes from the common hall tables. He seemed startled to see people still there and made to leave when Jon held out his hand instead and shook his head and instead the man started cleaning.   
“I’ll come find you later Sam.”   
“Alright. Lady Mirra.” Sam said with a nod as he left the room.   
“Mirra.” Jon said to her as he held the door open for her and they both exited the common hall and out into the yard. “We have quite a lot to do and not much time to do it in. I wish us to set sail in a couple of weeks.”  
“Then we had better get started.” Mirra said with a determined look about her face.


	7. A Wild and Free Spirit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mirra, Jon, and their entourage begin their journey beyond the Wall to bring their offer to the Wildling clans.

The morning the fleet was to set sail was a particularly nice one, the sun was shining and the wind was not as biting as it typically was this far north. Lady Mirra stood in front of the roaring fire in her bedroom, she could feel the cool of the air on her bare skin but she didn’t mind it much anymore. It was something that was just always there, always a part of life. It didn’t seem quite so bad standing in front of the fire, the heat in the air taking away most of the touch of the cool nature of Castle Black. Outside she could hear men hurrying about, shouting orders, trying to finish the rest of the preparations before the party would set sail. Stannis Baratheon and all his company had left for Winterfell a mere week before and Castle Black still seemed just as busy as ever with all the black brothers and the Theirin soldiers preparing the ships and supplies for travel. Mirra once again picked up the small scrap of paper that her father had written her from Highever. The raven had arrived only days ago and so far she had read the small paper many times in the days as she did now. The letter was simple stating that her father wished she wouldn’t go beyond the wall but understood why she wanted to go and trusted that she would take care of herself. He also said how much she was missed and that Highever was not the same without her, that Castle Theirin seemed cold and empty. That last letter was a bit of good news saying that her mother was pregnant and they both hoped that she could make it home to see the baby when it was born. Mirra smiled each time she read the letter, she always knew how much her parents had wanted another child, especially the older that Mirra herself got, the more they seemed to want another. It couldn’t have come at a better time either with her being gone from home and castle being so lonely without her. She had made a choice not to write back until she was once again back behind the walls of Castle Black; it meant that she had survived and would be able to tell them as such on her return.   
She folded the small letter and tucked into her trunk as she pulled out her clothes to dress for the journey ahead. Jon had already warned her that beyond the wall was much colder than it was on this side in the realm, baring that in mind, the clothes that Mirra pulled from her trunk were thicker than those she had been wearing since arriving at the wall. She once again stood in front of the crackling fire as she dressed in think black leather pants lined with fur. She pulled a simple heavy cotton white shirt on next and tucked into the waistband of her pants. Over this she wore a woolen tunic in the deep blue of her house as it was the only color she had had the shirt made in. A black leather corset was worn over the top and Mirra carefully tied herself, tight enough to keep her clothes in place, but loose enough to allow for easy movement and fighting. This one was special as it was thicker than her others and had ringmail sewn into it for protection. She had not yet worn it beyond practicing with her swordmaster in the yard back at Castle Theirin but decided that since this journey could turn ugly she had better be prepared. The young lady sat on the edge of her bed and pulled her thick black leather boots over her pants and laced them all the way up to her knee. The last thing she put on was a leather coat that she had also not seen fit to wear yet. It was made of thick black leather and the whole thing was lined in black fur. The coat was long and reached to her ankles, it was slit up the back down the center to midthigh to allow for movement and did not close in the front for the same reason; instead to hold the coat in place, Mirra wore a thick black leather belt around her waist outside the coat. Her long raven black hair she tied back into a fishtail braid and draped it over her right shoulder. After attaching her thigh holster and sheathing her dagger on her right side and hanging her sword off her left side she felt prepared to leave for Hardhome. As she left the room, she threw her cloak on over her shoulders and clasped it with the heavy stallion pin of her house. As she closed the door behind her, she pulled on a pair of black leather gloves.   
Mirra exited her room in the king’s tower and came into the main yard and found the young lord commander just where she figured she would, overseeing the last of the preparations before the small party sent sail. “Ah Lady Mirra.” Jon said to her as she approached and joined him on the landing. She was surprised to see Ser Alliser Thorne standing nearby, also observing, Jon’s formality made sense now.   
“Lord commander.” Mirra said in turn. “How are the preparations going?”  
“Mostly done now. We should be ready to leave soon.” Jon Snow said, sounding satisfied with the progress the men were making.   
“Snow!” Tormund called as he came across the yard to join them. The wildling seemed to make many men of the Night’s Watch quite nervous based on the glances they kept giving him and the fact that no one wanted to be very near him and made wide turns to avoid him. The man had never bothered me Mirra the few times she had been in contact with him. He only been released from his cell these past couple weeks to help with the preparations and to aid Jon in making plans and charting courses for Hardhome. When the man finally reached them, Thorne groaned and stalked away to go do whatever else he would rather do besides be around the man from beyond the wall. “The ships are ready to set sail and the men are also ready. We’re just waiting on you now.”  
“Ollie.” Jon called for his steward who was standing not far off looking at Tormund with a burning rage that made Mirra feel disquiet, but nevertheless the boy approached the trio.  
“Yes Lord Commander?” He asked, trying to just ignore Tormund entirely.  
“I need you to go round up the order and have them all assembled out here so I can address them before we go.”   
The boy simply nodded and ran off quickly, talking briefly to everyone he encountered and gesturing towards the yard.   
“Who are you leaving in command while we are away?” Mirra asked once the boy was gone.   
“Ser Alliser.” The young man replied simply, a response that got looks of surprise from both Tormund and Lady Mirra.  
“But Jon, Thorne hates you and probably wishes you would die beyond the wall and never return.” Mirra couldn’t mask her shock, it was no wonder he had not told her sooner.  
“No doubt that is true but he is still the logical choice unless you wish to remain behind and then I would leave Castle Black in your capable hands. Thorne was the second choice to be Lord Commander and he does know what he is doing. He won’t be in charge for long and there isn’t really anyone else who would be good for it.”  
“I don’t like him and I don’t trust him either.” Tormund admitted looking off in the direction that the man in question had retreated to.  
“Neither do I.” Mirra replied with a nod. “But I trust you Jon and if you think it will be fine then I’m behind you. Lieutenant Hawthorne!” She called turning her attention from the men beside her and gesturing to her second in command. The man quickly jogged over to her, his armor clinking together as he moved and his deep blue cloak flowed in the breeze.  
“My lady.” He said with a bow. “How may I be of service?” He was wearing his finest armor of silver, the black stallion danced on the center of his breastplate and his cloak was the finest velvet of the dark blue of the Theirin’s colors and trimmed in black satin. Mirra realized that was ready to accompany them on their journey as he had insisted on going with her beyond the wall.   
“There have been a change of plans and I need you to remain here and watch over things in my stead.” Mirra’s voice was commanding as she said this but even so he seemed surprised.  
“My lady, I’m supposed to be going with you to keep you safe like your father asked. Why would you wish me to remain here?”  
“I need you here to make sure everything goes the way it is supposed to. The Lord Commander has left Ser Thorne in charge while he is away and that man doesn’t care for him or this plan. We don’t trust him and need someone that we do trust here with enough men to see that he follows orders and doesn’t try anything he shouldn’t. That’s why I need you here and I’m leaving all of the men we brought along as well. I pray the gods are good and you won’t need them but I won’t have you be without either.” The man looked to Jon Snow before saying anything, unable to abandon the duty that his lord had given him the day they left.   
“I promise no harm will come to Lady Mirra. We need you here, I will watch out for her out there.” Jon told the man with a fist over his heart.   
This seemed to satisfy the man as he turned back to Lady Mirra and bowed. “As you command my lady. My lord.” He then turned and walked back to where the rest of the Theirin forces had gathered in the yard along with the whole of the Night’s Watch.  
“Brothers, I expect this trip won’t be any longer than a few weeks and if the gods are good nothing will go wrong. I am placing Ser Alliser Thorne in command while I am gone. The soldiers sent by Lord Theirin will also be remaining here to help train the new recruits sent by other lords and to complete day to day tasks. All those coming with me, we’re moving out.” With that being said, Jon Snow took the stairs down into the yard followed by Mirra Theirin and Tormund. Other men from among the crowd moved to join them as they made their way to the tunnel and the gates that would lead them beyond the wall. Jon gave a quick whistle and Ghost emerged from the shadows to walk beside his master.   
As the party emerged on the other side of the wall and the gates closed behind them Mirra was in absolute awe. She spun in a slow circle and looked out over the expanse that lay beyond Westoros, listening to the crunch of the snow beneath her boots. “It’s beautiful.” She said to no one in particular but it was Tormund who heard her.   
“Aye, it’s beautiful. But just as deadly if not more so.” The big red head said with a laugh as he came up beside her. “There are whitewalkers out here Lady of the North, hope you can handle that blade.” He said with a gesture to her left hip.  
“Better than you ser.” She quipped.   
The wildling laughed heartily. “We shall see should it come to that.”  
“Hopefully it does not.” Jon replied as he came up beside them. “Welcome to the end of the world Mirra.” Tormund gave him a strange look at his drop of title, he had become accustomed to hearing her called m’lady or Lady Mirra. He had yet to hear Jon call her by only her name until right now when the rest of their party had walked on ahead of them.   
They walked towards the rest of their party and continued on their way towards where Stannis Baratheon had docked his ships. They all walked awhile in silence, the only sounds made were those of boots crunching through the snow and he occasional drift of conversation from some of the black brothers and sailors who walked behind them.   
“Does House Theirin still keep the old gods?” Jon Snow asked her after a time. As a child, he had learned everything about the houses in the north, same as his brothers and most children from noble houses. That was years ago and he didn’t know if anything had changed since then.  
“Of course we do. Same as the Starks since the very beginning. The old gods are the only gods.”  
“There is a godswood at Castle Black. Well it’s beyond the wall actually, more heart trees than you have ever seen before. I can show you when we return if you would like to see it.”  
“I’d be wondering about that actually. I saw the sept but that’s just not the same thing. I would like to see it when we return. It’s been too long since I’ve been to a godswood.” Mirra replied trying to remember the last time she had sat at the base of a heart tree and prayed to the old gods of the ancient northern houses. It had been right before she had left for Castle Black, the night before in fact after she had packed. She had spent some hours there in the snow beneath the blood red leaves, talking to the gods and thinking about her journey the next day. It was not the last time she had prayed, but the last time she felt close to her gods.   
“When we return to Castle Black, I’ll show you the godswood.” Jon told her as they came into view of the ships that they would be taking to Hardhome and they all had to admit, Stannis’s fleet was huge, quite impressive. Much like most people from the north, Mirra had never seen the ocean or a large fleet of ships or really any ships for that matter. It seemed that she was not the only one in awe, most of those in their small company, with the exception of the ship captains of course, had never seen anything quite like it before. The ships were large and many and every single last one flew the sigil of House Baratheon on their sails. The captains and the black brother who would be assisting them immediately set to work housting anchor and letting out the sails, leading the smaller ships on the outskirts out into the water.   
“This way.” Jon said gesturing for Mirra and Tormund to follow him as he led them towards the largest ship in the fleet, the one who lead them all.   
Both the northern lady and the wildling looked around in fascination as they boarded the ship via the gangplank which was pulled up behind them. Soon after their ship too, left the shore and headed for the open water that would take them to Hardhome.  
Mirra remained on deck, resting her hands on the railing and looking out across the sea as the land pulled further away, even more beautiful from the cold sea than from land, maybe even from atop the wall. There was something about the cool salt breeze that she enjoyed. She closed her eyes and breathed deep the air, letting the wind whip around her and toywith her cloak and her long braid. She almost felt as if she was flying, not as good as it was being on Shadow’s back and racing through the woods and across the land, untouched and unchallenged by anyone, but it was still freeing.   
The lady opened her deep ocean eyes as Jon Snow came up beside her and laid his own hands on the railing. “I don’t know who’s quieter, you or Ghost.”  
He gave her a laugh as he joined her in looking out across the water. “As long as I spent beyond the wall, I never saw it from the sea.”  
“It’s beautiful, maybe more beautiful than seeing it from atop the wall.”  
“The water matches your eyes.” Jon told her, almost as an after thought, like he couldn’t decide whether to say it or not.  
“Thank you. My father always used to say the same thing but I had never seen the sea before so I could never picture it.” Mirra replied warmly, a slight bit of color in the apples of her cheeks but whether that was from the cold or Jon’s compliment was unknown.   
As the large ship bounced over a wave, a spray of salty sea water misted Jon and Mirra where they stood on the deck. She laughed at the cool spray and in one swift motion reached behind her back and pulled out the black ribbon that bound her long tresses together; they tumbled free of their arrangement and the braid unraveled leaving the wind to pick up her hair and toss it around as it did her cloak. There was just something about having the wind in her hair that made her feel free. She was so used to tying her hair up to keep it out of her way, that it was a refreshing change of pace to have it down.  
Jon Snow watched her with a small smile on his face. Mirra was a free spirit, he had always known that, but she had grown so much more since the last time he had seen her as her father’s entourage rode out of Winterfell and back to Highever. In that sense, she was more like Ygritte than any noble woman he had ever known.  
“What?” Mirra Theirin asked as she turned and noticed him watching her.   
“Nothing, just noticing again that you’re not like any lady I’ve ever met.”   
She laughed at that, a soft sound that touched her eyes. “Good, they’re boring.”  
“Arya would have said the same. You are lucky to have been born Lord Matthew’s daughter.” Jon mused thinking of his little sister and how much she would envy the woman beside him knowing that she got to do the things Arya always wanted and with her father’s permission.  
“That I am and I think about that all the time, especially at times like this.”  
Before Jon could ask her what she meant, Tormund came behind him. “I need to speak to you. Alone if you don’t mind.” He added the last part with a glance to Mirra.  
“Of course. I’ll come find you later.” Mirra said to Jon as she made her exit and left the two men standing at the railing and looking out over the sea as she had just been.


	8. A Rocky Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mirra, Jon, and their entourage arrive at Hardhome for their meeting with the clan leaders.

It was many days before the borrowed fleet of ships finally reached Hardhome. They all anchored out at sea, off the shore and out of the range of archers. This was something that had been decided while they were still on their way in; the landing party of Jon, Mirra, Edd, and Tormund would be taking a small boat to shore and if the talks went well more of them would be sent from the other ships for the free people to board and ride to the larger waiting ships. It was midday when they anchored and everyone was gathered on the deck waiting to row to shore. Mirra had opted to leave her long hair down instead of tying it up again and was wearing what she had been when they all set sail with the addition of thick black leather bracers on her wrists.  
“Now I know that they agreed to talk to us but that doesn’t mean that every tribe will be willing to actually listen. We all have to be prepared should it turn to a fight.” Jon Snow was saying from where he stood in front of one of the rowboats hanging off the side. This got him nods from those standing and listening to him. “Now let’s go.”  
One by one they all stepped of the railing and climbed down into the rowboat which was then lowered and released onto the water. Even from the ship it was easy to see the sheer number of the free people that had gathered and waited to meet them. If it came down to it, there wouldn’t even be a fight, they would all just be killed, there would be no way to escape. Ghost stood at Jon’s side, still as a statue, no doubt sensing his master’s nerves. The others were all fairly quiet as well, which wasn’t like any of them. Mirra sent a quick prayer to the old gods hoping that would hear her despite the absence of a hearttree. In what seemed like no time at all, the party made land and stepped off their small boat onto land, they’re boots crunching on the hard ground. As Mirra looked around at the people gathered she noticed many expressions; some were simply confused and curious, some even seemed happy at their prescence, some scared, and many just looked wary, untrusting, still others had eyes that burned with a deep hatred that reached their bones.   
“Stop!” A man stepped in front of them clad in bones from head to toe, a bone mask over his face. “You’ll go no further, instead you’ll die. You killed Mance!” The man stared right at Jon Snow as he said and drew his weapon. It was Tormund who reacted first, drawing his axe and driving it down on the man’s skull.   
“We are allowed here to speak to the tribe leaders!” He yelled as the body dropped to the ground. “Does anyone else have anything to say about it?!” He looked around him and no one moved towards them or made any indication that they would attack. Satisfied, Tormund put away his axe and lead them the rest of the way into the main part of the city and the small building where they would be conducting their talk with the various leaders of the clans.   
The room was small and fairly dark except for the light emitted by the fire pit in the middle of the room, around the fire were many people dressed in leathers and furs but they all had a different look about them as was custom for every clan. They weren’t exactly welcoming with their new guests and none of them were seated so Jon Snow did not sit either and neither did anyone else. They stood opposite the fire with Jon in the center, Tormund to his left, Mirra to his right. Edd stood beside Tormund and Ghost stood at Mirra’s side as his master had wished him to.   
“I’m Jon Snow, Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch.” Jon began about to introduce Mirra and Edd since everyone already knew Tormund.  
“We know who you are Lord Crow.” One of the men said. “What we don’t understand is why we should listen to anything you have to say. You killed Mance Rydar.”   
“I did kill him but I did it as a mercy. Stannis wanted him to burn at the stake. I shot an arrow through his heart to save him agony and gave him a clean death.” Jon replied, not shaken by the man’s words or the cold looks the others were giving him.  
“A mercy killing. Tormund is that true?” The only woman on their side spoke up and looked to the red haired man on Jon’s left.  
“Aye it’s true. He defied direct orders from his king when he fired that arrow.” Tormund stepped forward and spoke truly to his people, they seemed to relax somewhat at his words.  
“As a show of good faith, we have brought you dragonglass. One of my brother’s killed a white walker with one of them.” Jon told them gesturing for Edd to step forward and pass out the obsidian daggers that they had brought with them. He walked carefully around the room handing one to each member of the small gathering in turn. “Even if you decide not to listen to us, you may keep them as gifts. We don’t wish any of you any harm.” He continued while Edd finished his rounds and made his way back to his place, his knapsack now empty.   
“We will listen to what the crows have to say.” A larger man said to the others, most of them nodded their agreement but one man, a cold looking man who Mirra imagined looked more like the whitewalkers than he did humans.   
“I will not and my clan will not. We take no orders from crows. We will not hear any of this! We don’t want your charity either!” He bellowed, tossing the dagger to the ground and spitting on it. He then roughly left the room without another word said.   
Jon sighed as the man left, he was hoping that those who remained would be more open to what he had to say.   
“I didn’t think they made woman crows.” One of the clansmen said taking notice of Mirra now that her hood was down.  
“They don’t.” The woman said looking at her curiously.  
“Well she sure looks like a crow.” The man replied.  
“I’m not from the Night’s Watch. I’m a lady from the north in Westeros. I’m here on behalf of my people.” Mirra responded, her voice calm and assured.  
“Once I explain why we’re here, you’ll understand why she’s here.” Jon said, starting to begin his reasoning for being there. “You all know that I’ve spent time on this side of the wall, I spent time in Mance’s camp. I’ve also seen a whitewalker. I killed one inside Castle Black and I know without a doubt that they are back. I know that’s why so many of the free people have climbed the wall. I want to help you, I want to invite all of you to sail with us back to Castle Black to go through the wall. Once on the other side, you will be given land to live on and do with as you will and you will still be free. It’s not right that you are made to stay on this side of the wall and deal with the Night King when there is safety to be had on the other side, in Westeros.”  
“The crows have never cared what happned to us before. Why should we even believe you?” The woman asked him, not cruelly, more surprised that they cared at all.  
“Because I see the true enemy and it isn’t you, it’s the Night King and his army of the dead. The Night’s Watch is sworn to protect people, all people, that includes the free people.” Jon replied, he could see that his words were getting to them, that they were actually listening.  
“What do you want from us? This offer can’t be free.” A thin man asked from the back of the room.  
“We don’t wish anything from you. You don’t have to fight our wars, you don’t have to swear fealty to our king or any of our lords, you don’t have to pay our taxes. All we ask is that you don’t pillage any of our villages or harm anyone that doesn’t harm you. You will have plenty of land to farm and hunt on and you can build homes if you wish. It will be yours.”  
“Is this true lady of the north?” The woman asked, looking to Lady Mirra and meeting her deep blue eyes.  
“It’s true. There are many lands in the north that no one claims and no one uses, they have been abandoned and they are far from the large houses of other lords. No one will bother you and the land will truly be yours to do with as you will. All of the northern lords and their men will pay you no mind and if they try anything to take your lands or have you move, they will be dealt with.” Mirra told her, her hand on the hilt of her sword as she said the last part and the point was made.  
“We have your word that none of us will be harmed and that we will be safe?” The woman asked turning her attention back to Jon Snow, Lord Commander.  
“You have my word.” He said with a small bow. “No one will harm you and you will be given safe passage through the wall and a safe place to call home. One day the Night King could figure out a way over the wall but until that day comes, we will all be safe in Westeros.” He couldn’t let them make this choice without knowing that it was possible that some day, even Westeros behind it’s high ice wall might not be safe.  
“My clan accepts your offer, Jon Snow.” The woman told him, her brown eyes showed hope. In turn most of the other clan leaders in the room also gave their approval and announced that they too would be joining the small band of crows and crossing the wall. Jon was happy with the outcome, he had succeeded in doing what he set out to do, save the free people; not everyone had agreed but most had and that was all he could hope for. Edd went back around collecting the abandoned dragonglass and putting it back into his knapsack.   
“You did it Jon.” Mirra told him with a smile on her pretty face once they had gone outside and back to the shore to signal the release of the other boats and the men who would row back and forth.   
“We aren’t done yet. There are a lot of people to load aboard our ships and soon it will be nightfall. I want to be done by then. Nights out here beyond the wall are not kind.” Jon told her as he looked out to their ships and made out the small boats making their way to shore with their captains in black.


	9. A Hard Fought Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mirra gets her first taste of the Night King and his army as they fight for their lives beyond the Wall.

It was a few hours later when dusk started to fall. Many of the free people who would be joining them had already been ferried out to the large ships. It had taken a lot of time to gather everyone and start to move them as most needed to gather what items they could to take with them into Westeros. Jon, Mirra, and Edd had already shrugged off their heavy cloaks and abandoned them in their rowboat as the added weight was making it hard to lift people and belongings into the ships and push them off. The giant helped considerably but he couldn’t be everywhere at once and he spent most of his time carrying people’s things from their camps down to the shore to be loaded into the boats with their owners.   
It was Ghost who first noticed the odd chill in the air. The direwolf had spent most of the last few hours roaming the shore, always keeping his master in sight. He sniffed the air towards the large gates that lead into Hardhome and he moved quickly to Jon’s side, growling. The young Lord Commander helped the elderly man into the rowboat and then followed Ghost’s line of sight to the north. That was when he saw it, the large cloud of mist and cold air that moved down the hills and towards the town. Jon knew what it was, everyone knew what it was except for Mirra who had only heard the stories.   
“Edd, Mirra! We need to get these people out of here now!” Jon yelled catching both of their attention. The two heard his urgency and quickly ran over to the Lord Commander. One glance to what held Jon’s attention and Edd knew what was going on but Mirra did not as she had never seen a whitewalker before.  
“What’s going on?” She asked, her nerves pulled tight at the sound of Jon’s voice.   
It was at that moment that Tormund came running up to them from where he had been closer to the village helping people prepare to move and carrying their belongings. “The Night King is here!” He said, breathing heavy since he had sprinted to reach the small party. “We don’t have time anymore, everyone needs to leave now, before they reach us and tear the walls down!”  
“I agree.” Jon replied quickly, looking over his shoulder as he did so. “We all need to reach as many people as we can and get them into those boats and out to the ships. There’s no more time for them to grab anything, they have to go.”  
Everyone nodded and broke off into a run, all four of them separating in opposite directions to go get as many free people as they could find and get them into the row boats that were already waiting at the shore. Despite how fast everyone moved and how those they reached called out to others, the whitewalkers were fast and they were soon at the gates, tearing out pieces of the fencing, clawing large gouges into the wood. They had moved many people to the boats, but there were still so many left.  
“We need to try to hold that gate!” Jon yelled to anyone who would listen. Tormund and Edd were already running that way, along with many wildlings who wanted to help others get to safety. Still others rushed many people to the water’s edge and into the waiting boats to cross the sea. At that moment, Jon caught sight of Mirra running from the shore back towards the town, he made a run for her and grabbed her arm as she dashed by him.  
“I need you to help as many people as you can get to those ships and I want you to go with them.” Jon told her, his dark eyes moving between her face and the gate where many people now stood together, weapons in hand, ready to fight should the wall come down.   
“What?” Mirra’s pretty face turned hard as stone and she looked as though someone had carved her out of marble. “I’m not one of your brothers in black. You can’t just command me Jon Snow.” Her voice had an icy tinge to it like the wind in the air. She pulled her arm away and hastily walked off to join the warriors at the gate, many of whom now had to thrust their weapons into the holes in the fence to kill the whitewalkers who were trying to get through. Mirra unsheathed her dagger and brought it down into the head of a corpse that had forced into through a hole in the wall. She held the weapon in her right hand and braced her left shoulder on the wall trying to keep it up and to keep the creatures out.   
“It’s not gonna hold! There’s too many of them!” She heard someone shout from further down the line as more and more holes were made in the fence and more and more bodies piled up on the other side, forcing the undead to climb them to get higher up the fence.  
“We have to hold it! There’s too many people on this side still trying to get to safety!” She recognized Jon’s voice coming from somewhere behind her.  
Mirra brought the heel of her boot down on the head of a skeletal corpse that had managed to crawl partially under the fence in front of her. “Watch your feet!” She called as loudly as she could. “They’re trying to dig under us!”  
Above all of the sounds going on, the sound of blades coming down on flesh and bone, the groaning sounds from the corpses, and the screams of people as they fled towards the shore, there was one sound that no one understood until the first of the army of the dead came crashing down over the wall. It was almost a stillness as all those at the wall turned and looked to where the body had fallen, smashed to pieces on impact with the hard frozen ground.   
“They’ve climbed the fence!” A man yelled as he backed up from the wall, axe at the ready. “We’d better prepare for a battle cause that won’t hold them back!”  
Everyone understood and more and more of them left their post and joined the man, weapons at the ready. They knew the fence was coming apart, piece by piece, as more and more of the Night King’s army clawed it away. Now it was time to make a stand.  
“We keep the fighting up here, killing as many of them as we can to buy time for people to get free of this place and out to the ships.” Jon Snow called from where he still stood against the fence, taking out those who tried to force their way through. “If anyone wishes to go, go now. We will hold them as long as possible to allow your escape.” His eyes scanned those gathered around him and those who were standing back ready for the wave, not a single soul moved. “Then we fight!” He broke away from the wall, followed by everyone else who still stood.   
Mirra stepped backwards, her eyes on the large gates as she stored her dagger and instead pulled her families ancient sword from its scabbard, enjoying the sound of steel on hard leather as it came free. She fell back joining the others as they waited for the gates to give. There were still bodies coming from over the wall, but most of them were smashed to pieces upon reaching their side. Without anyone to hold the wall, it was only seconds before the gates gave up and opened spilling a mass of whitewalkers into Hardhome. Before the fighting began, Mirra caught sight of the Night King, sitting atop a horse as pale as the snow around them, high on a cliff. He looked as though he were truly made of ice and his eyes were as blue as anything she had ever seen, even visible from where she stood below him in the village. The sight of him sent a chill down her spine, he was the most disturbing and truly evil thing she had ever seen and she thought that was the point of him anyway.   
All at once there was the sound of clashing swords that seemed to come from everywhere at once. The dead weren’t particularly good fighters but it was harder to take them down cause blows that would kill normal men wouldn’t even phase them. You had to either take off their head or take their legs and make them unable to move. Mirra swung hard, her first blow cleaving the heads of two corpses as they all spread and stood their ground against the relentless onslaught of the dead. No one on their side had fallen yet, but she had heard the grunts and shouts of pain as people were hit. The last of the giants had also stayed behind with them to fight, taking out ten times more creatures that everyone else on the field was doing. Every once in a while Mirra caught sight of Ghost, a white blur tearing through the crowd and ripping apart corpse after corpse leaving only mangled bodies in his wake. For a while it seemed that they would be able to hold their ground and keep the monsters at bay but that was only until the true monsters entered the field. With their entrance through the gates, the air grew colder and stiller. There were three of them and they all carried large ancient swords that were clear and appeared to be made of ice. When they looked at you it was as if their eyes starred right through you and into your soul, chilling you to the core. The creatures around them seemed to grow even more restless and violent as their commanders joined in the battle, drawing the party out and making pathways for the creatures to get through and head for the shore and those people trying to escape. Some of the free people broke away from them and went further back to defend their people and take out some of those who had escaped but for everyone that they killed, another one took its place. The whitewalkers moved as shadows and crossed blades with anyone they came in contact with who would not stand aside.  
Mirra watched in horror as one of the ice men brought his greatsword down against an axe of one of the free people and as soon as it made contact it changed the steel to ice and shattered it into a million pieces and then continued down on its path to almost cleave the man in half. It wasn’t even the way he died that Mirra found truly horrifying, it was how the sword had shattered the axe as if it was only made of glass.   
It was at that moment that one of the creatures lunged at her with a sword and caught her across the abdomen, cutting into the leather of her corset and revealing the ringmail beneath it. She kicked the corpse in the chest, knocking it away from her as she swung her sword in her right hand and took off its head. In the same movement, she grabbed the dagger from the holster on her thigh with her left hand and shoved it deep into the skull of another creature to her left. As she wretched it free and took out another corpse with her sword she looked up and noticed that she had moved much further back from the ruin of the large wooden fence from where she had initially started and as she took in the fighting around her she saw that everyone else had been pushed back as well. She also noticed that the whitewalkers had vanished, the chill that they left remained and she knew that they weren’t far away. As she took down another corpse she saw that one of the free people had fallen and that they were not the first. Ghost ran next to her leaping into a corpse and ripping it apart in only a few seconds before moving on to another one.   
“Watch out!” Lady Mirra screamed to a woman not far away from her who was unaware of the fact that one of the dead was coming up behind her. The woman turned just as Mirra launched her dagger through the air and caught the creature in the head. The wildling woman nodded to her and moved on to a cluster of creatures not far off. Mirra ran out and ripped the dagger from the creatures head before moving on and taking out two more. She smashed a third with a foot as it crawled toward her. As she looked up, she noticed that the giant was crawling with corpses of his own although he was grabbing them and crushing them and didn’t seem to be having much of a problem. That’s when she saw one of the whitewalkers heading for Jon and he would never hear her warning over the sound and she couldn’t hope to reach him. As if he knew the young man turned and he brought his sword up to protect him from the coming blow of the ice sword. Mirra watched in awe as Longclaw didn’t shatter but instead held its own and pushed the other weapon aside, the whitewalker almost seeming stunned that his attack had failed and the blade had held.  
“Valyrian steel.” Mirra glanced down at her own blade, the magically enfolded steel almost shimmering in blood. Now she knew another reason that Valyrian steel was so prized but it was a reason that no one had need of for centuries so it had been forgotten. Valyrian steel didn’t shatter on impact with the weapons carried by the whitewalkers. You could actually use them to fight the monsters.  
She was pulled from her thoughts by Tormund shouting, “There’s too many of them!”   
He was right of course. For every creature they cut down, 3 more streamed in from the mountains and into the small town that was now mostly overrun. Mirra looked over to the shore and noticed that many of the boats were gone but also that many people had taken to swimming to get away from the corpses that were slowly making their way towards the shore. She cut down another of the Night King’s army of the dead and saw Jon taking out corpse after corpse with no sign of the whitewalker he had been battling with. “We need to fall back!” He yelled to anyone who was close enough to hear him. Many wildlings turned and ran towards the shore, cutting down corpses as they ran for the water.   
Jon cut his own path through the dead and ran towards Mirra who was deep in corpses. “Mirra we need to go now. If we stay here any longer, we die here.”   
She nodded as she ran her blade through the abdomen of one of the creatures and kicked it away from her. She followed Jon with her sword still drawn, taking creatures out as they made their way towards the shore along with everyone else who wasn’t dead.   
“Ghost! To me!” Jon called catching sight of the large white direwolf not far off still ripping apart corpses. The wolf looked up and caught sight of his master in his dark red eyes and bounded towards him.  
As Jon and Mirra reached their boat, Mirra climbed on board and Ghost beside her. Tormund and Edd came running up not behind them with a few other wildlings who they ushered into the boat with them.   
“Jon, we need to go now. They’re right behind us now.” Mirra said keeping her deep blue eyes on the town behind them where the large army was moving much quicker to get to the survivors now that they weren’t hindered by fighting. All of the whitewalkers had reappeared and were also moving towards them.   
She didn’t have to say anymore as Jon, Edd, and Tormund pushed the boat into the water and freed it from the freezing sand before jumping into the rowboat themselves and grabbing the oars to help get as much distance between them and the army who could not follow them as possible. As they passed the end of the dock, the giant walked out into the sea drowning some of the creatures who were still on him and continued walking out towards the ships. Mirra turned from where she stood at the head of the boat with Ghost at her side. She watched Hardhome slowly recede from view as it burned, one of the last acts they tried to do as they left. The young lady caught the Night King’s eye as she watched the corpses stop their advance when they reached the water’s edge. She didn’t know if whitewalkers felt emotions as humans did but she could have sworn she saw a fire of anger in his icy eyes as they moved away.


	10. Lost In You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the high emotions of the Battle at Hardhome, Jon and Mirra spend the night together.  
> Very explicit!

Upon reaching the ships and climbing on board it became clear just how many people they had saved, of those who had chosen to go with them beyond the wall and into Westeros, most of them had made it onto the various ships and had escaped the army of the dead. As she looked around, Mirra also noticed how many people they didn’t save, just on the main flag ship alone. It made her sad to see children crying for dead parents and men and women grieving over their loved ones. They had done everything they could and bought as much time as possible for people to make it to safety. The army of the dead just showed up at the wrong time, or the right time depending on how you looked at it. For awhile Lady Mirra just stood on the deck looking out to sea, taking comfort in the cool breeze and the distance that was being put between their ships and the Night King. The deck was busy around her as rooms were found for those on the ship and food was given to everyone. She pried herself away from the ship’s railing and joined the rest of their crew in grabbing food and blankets for their new shipmates. Once it appeared she had done all she could, she abandoned the deck that was slowly thinning out as people found their rooms and instead headed across the ship to the captain’s quarters in search of Jon Snow who she had not seen since boarding the ship and she wanted to apologize for yelling at him when he asked her to go.   
As she descended the few steps that lead down to the large room, she could hear voices coming from the double doors, one of which was open. Both voices she recognized, one belonging to Jon Snow and the other belonging to Tormund. She moved quietly through the open door and stood off to the side, entering the room and leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest. The two men were standing at a large table that were covered in maps and charting supplies, none of which they had needed on the journey but it seemed clear that Jon hadn’t wanted to disturb the true ship captain’s things; the only thing that didn’t belong was Longclaw in its scabbard laying on the table. Instead they just stood around the table talking about what had happened and what would happen with everyone once they reached the wall and Castle Black and made it to the other side. Both men looked up as she entered, Jon seeming slightly surprised to see her after she angrily left him on the field.   
“Tormund, can you excuse us? We can pick this up later.” Jon asked the red haired man that he considered to be a friend.   
“Alright. Ill get the door on my way out.” Before anyone could object, he crossed the parlor and breezed past Mirra, closing the second door on his way out.  
Mirra then crossed the room herself to stand beside the large table where she absently picked up a compass and started to play with it, walking it across the map while she sorted out the words for her apology. It would appear that the young man was unsure of what to say to her as well as he watched her, saying nothing.   
“Jon I’m sorry for what I said to you back there. I might not actually be one of the Night’s Watch, but I came here to help you. I told my soldiers they were to listen to you as if you were their given commanding officer and I should have done the same. It just made me so angry that you wanted me to go when you knew I could have fought and helped you and you knew why I came to Castle Black and your order in the first place. But regardless of my feelings, I should have taken the order that was given to me.” She spoke carefully and laid the compass back down on the table, her deep blue eyes fixed on Jon’s dark brown ones.  
He seemed shocked by her apology, no doubt thinking she was there to yell at him further for commanding her to stay back from the fighting. He couldn’t hide the fact that her decision made him angry, but not because she defied him. “You could have died out there Mirra! What would I have told your father? I couldn’t even have sent your body home to him! You would have become one of them, how would I explain that to your parents?” He ran a hand through his thick black hair, taking in the shocked expression on her pretty face.  
“You would have told him that I died helping people, saving people just like I told you to!”  
“I highly doubt your father would find it a comfort to know that his daughter was now a weapon for the whitewalkers just because she was too stubborn to go back to the ship.”  
This gave her pause for a moment because she knew that it would kill him to know she was gone and that he couldn’t even bury her because her body was no longer her own. “My father knew the risks when he allowed me to come here. He knew when he said goodbye that it might be the last time.”  
“Trust me, he didn’t. You never know it could be the last time.” This had a bitter sound to it as Jon’s mind had no doubt shifted through all the people in his life he had said goodbye to, never knowing that it would truly be the last time.   
“Even so, you can’t just leave me out of every battle because there is a chance I could die! I’m not afraid to die, I’m a warrior and I came here to fight. If I don’t even get to do that, then what was the point of even coming here in the first place?” Mirra said, exasperated. She couldn’t believe that she had come here to apologize and that didn’t even go right.  
“You’re right, you came here to help and you came here to fight. Why else does anyone end up on the wall? I shouldn’t have told you to go back. I just don’t want to see you die.” Jon replied, finally admitting to the last part out loud, the real reason he had told her to go back to the ship even though he knew that she was an asset to have fighting with them.   
“Everybody dies Jon.” Mirra told him completely missing the implications of what he meant when he said he didn’t want to see her die.  
“You are the most headstrong woman I’ve ever met.” Jon told her as he closed the distance of a few feet that separated them and pulled her to his chest. He kissed her just as he’d wanted to for the past few weeks. It took only a split second for the shock at his actions to wear off before Mirra kissed him back, her lips soft and warm despite being in the cold all day. She had wanted Jon to kiss her but she hadn’t known how much until the moment he did; it was like a warm fire on the coldest night.  
The skin on his palms felt slightly rough against her cheek, but his hands were gentle as was his kiss. Mirra slid one hand around his body and up his back to rest at the base of his neck, her slender fingers curled into his hair. Her other hand unhooked her sword belt and laid it beside Longclaw on the table along with her dagger holster. Mirra was grateful that Tormund had closed the door when he departed, otherwise anyone could have walked in and found them as they were, breaking Jon’s vows as a man of the Night’s Watch. Not that that seemed to bother him too much so Mirra pushed the thought from her head as well. Her fingers moved to unclasp the cloak that he had put back on once jumping into the row boat, the heavy cloth making a soft thud as it hit the floor. Mirra could feel his smile against her lips as he kissed her. He obviously didn’t think that it was too much that she removed his cloak and in response he pulled her tighter, his fingers tangled in her hair. His kiss became more, more passion, more feeling. Mirra felt his tongue softly probe her lower lip, a tender question which she answered by parting her lips for him, meeting his tongue when her own in a dizzying dance.   
The lady’s heart beat so hard and so fast in her chest, she feared it might escape its cage if it wasn’t bound by her corset but she loved the rush and the breathlessness of it all the same. She slid her hand to Jon’s chest and felt that his own heartbeat matched hers, his breathing heavy. His breath against her lips was like new life, awakening something in her. Jon’s kiss moved from her lips, trailing down her jawline to land on her slender neck drawing a heavy sigh from her pouty lips as she tilted her head to the side welcoming his mouth anywhere he cared to put it. Her fingers worked quickly at the clasps of his leather jerkin, pushing it off his shoulders and causing him to pull his arms from her to work it off. He made fast work of it, eager to have her in his arms again. Mirra’s breath came out in a gasp when Jon lightly bit her neck, testing to see what it was she liked.   
“Did I hurt you?” He asked her kissing the spot.  
“No you didn’t. Don’t stop.” Her voice was heavy with desire.  
Jon smiled and laughed lightly before pushing her hair away from her neck and biting her again, harder this time. Her fingers coiled into his hair and a soft moan escaped her lips. She could feel Jon’s own pleasure against her body as he held her against him and that gave her her own amount of pleasure. Jon released his hold on her neck and turned his attention back to her lips where he kissed her with a fire that burned so hot she feared they might catch fire but it was so delicious. As he kissed her, his hands moved over her body coming to rest on the belt that held her coat in place which he undid in one swift movement tossing it aside and dropping her coat on to the floor.   
“Jon” She breathed his name, the sound of it being one of the sweetest he had ever heard. She slid her hands down to his waist and undid the laces on his pants before allowing herself to feel him for the first time. Now it was his turn to lose his breath at her touch. As if on instinct, Jon swept his arm across the table behind them scattering everything to the floor in a mess of charts and compasses and maps, his desire for Mirra far outweighing his desire to not mess up the captain’s things. He grabbed her waist and lifted her onto the table, his lips never leaving hers.  
Mirra wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him to her, pulling his remaining shirt out of his pants and over his head tossing it into the slowly growing pile of clothes on the floor beneath them. Her fingers trailed over the muscle in his chest, all of it earned, her eyes enjoying what she saw.   
“May I?” Jon asked her, his fingers tracing the frame of her corset, his dark eyes holding her own.  
“Ever the gentleman.” Mirra said with a smile as she lightly brushed her fingertips along the waistband of his pants. “Yes.”  
Jon shivered at her touch and unlaced her corset faster than she thought he could and cast it aside where it landed on the wooden floor with a very heavy thud. His hands trailed along her side, she could feel the warmth of his touch through the light fabric of the shirt she still wore. Her nipples stood perky, whether that was more because of the cold that still hung in the air or her own state of arousal she could not be entirely certain, in all likelihood it was probably both. Jon took notice and grabbed one through her shirt between his forefinger and middle finger and squeezed lightly. Mirra’s eyes shone with passion as she leaned forward and took his lower lip in her teeth and nibbled lightly as she kissed him. They stayed like that a moment, lost in kissing each other and just feeling what they could.   
Mirra was the one to finally slowly pull away and once again brush her hair away from her neck, revealing the faint bite mark that Jon had left on her not to long ago. He took that as an invitation and began to kiss her neck and then slowly move to her collarbone and down her chest, savoring every inch of skin he could touch and the feeling of her shallow breathing and rapid heartbeat. He pulled her white shirt off and tossed it aside, almost losing his own breath at the sight of her. He smiled at her as he pushed her lightly back down against the table so she was laying on her back and he ran his hands over her breasts and down her stomach marveling at the muscle she had and how beautiful she looked beneath all of her clothing.   
“You are absolutely stunning, the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen.” Jon told her, looking into her deep ocean eyes before kissing the space between her breasts.  
Mirra laughed softly, the sound full of light teasing. “You’re only saying that because I’m half naked Lord Commander.”  
Jon chuckled at that. “I think that even when you’re in full armor my lady. This is only a bonus.” He began to kiss down her stomach, stopping at the waistband of her pants asking her permission with his eyes. Mirra nodded her approval.  
Jon Snow got down on his knees and began to unlace her boots and pull them off, the only obstacle that was keeping her pants on. He also took the opportunity to unlace and remove his own boots so Mirra wouldn’t have to do it later. He ran his hands back up her legs and taking his time, even beneath the thick leather he liked the feel of her.   
Mirra propped herself up on her elbows and couldn’t help but watch him, she never thought she would be where she was right now and she didn’t want to be anywhere else either. She felt slightly nervous as she watched him untie the laces on her pants and slowly work them down her hips and off her legs onto the floor. She shivered as she laid lounged on the table wearing only her small clothes, Jon running his hands over her legs and kissing up her thigh before planting a kiss where he truly wanted eliciting a sharp intake of breath from his partner who had never experienced anything like it. He could feel how wet she already was through the cotton before he slowly slid the unwanted article down her legs and dropped them to the floor. His chocolate eyes caught hers only once before he devoted his attention into pleasing her. He ran his tongue over her lips delighting in the moan it pulled from deep within her body as she laid her head back against the table. She tasted sweet as he always wondered if she would. He slowly circled his tongue around her clit and felt her fingers twist into his curls and her breathing hitch as he did so. He trailed the fingers of his dominant hand up her thigh to what was slowly becoming a pool between her legs. Very gently, he pushed two fingers inside of her, in and out as he licked her clit with more intensity. Mirra moaned and tightened her grip in Jon’s black curls as she pulled. Instinctively she moved her hips against his mouth aiding him in a way she didn’t even know as he brought her closer and closer to a cliff she hadn’t known before, not in this way. She was truly drenched now aroused more than she ever thought possible.   
“Mhmmm, Jon.” Mirra’s voice was breathey and husky and full of deep desire. His name on her lips was almost pleading with him to tip her off the edge of the cliff and he was oh so willing to do just that.   
His tongue worked artfully around her clit which at this point had become quite engorged with her own arousal, they pulsing of it quickening with every pass of his tongue or push of his fingers. She rocked her hips against him with even more frequency, her breathing was rapid and quite heavy. Jon smiled as he increased his speed just enough to give her the release he’d been hoping for. Mirra arched her back and dug her fingers deep into his curls as a low and heavy moan escaped her lips and her whole body spasmed with the force of her orgasm, her thighs briefly tightened around his head before she dropped her legs which were still shaking.   
“Where did you learn that?” Mirra asked as Jon kissed back up her body, pulling her to him and burying his face in the crook of her neck.  
“I didn’t. It's something that I did before just because I wanted to and I wanted to make you feel good.”  
“Oh you did.” She purred, running her hands down his chest and one of them slipped down his pants and grabbed ahold of him and squeezed softly. “Let me do the same for you.”  
The young man’s brow rose at her words. “You don’t have to.”   
Mirra laughed softly. “Oh I know, now shut up and just let me.” She slid off the table and laid her hand on his chest and pushed him back against the wall behind him. Her soft lips trailed down his jaw to his neck where she felt his heartbeat quicken again as she lightly nibbled to the soft flesh there and slid her hand down to quickly untie his pants in one quick reflex, almost with no effort at all. A shiver ran down Jon’s spine as she exposed him to the cooler air in the room and he felt her mouth curve into a smile against his neck before she trailed her lips down his chest and came to rest on her knees in front of him, her lips paused at his waist, her tongue tracing the firm muscle she found there.   
Before Jon knew or was even prepared, the lovely woman before him ran her hand along the length of his shaft before wrapping her mouth around it instead. The moan that escaped his own lips was entirely involuntary as was the hand that found her hair and twisted its fingers into. The chill in the air around them was instantly forgotten almost as if it had never been there in the first place.   
Mirra had only done this a handful of other times but if the reactions she got from it were any indication, she was good at it and while she herself loved to be pleased, she loved to please just as much. She liked the way that Jon’s dick felt in her mouth and the way his hands felt in her hair as she worked her mouth around him. His breathing grew heavier and more rapid the faster and farther she took him into her mouth. She slid her tongue along the entire length from base to top, very slowly, pausing at the tip to rapidly flick her tongue back and forth which caused her new lover to catch his breath and pull her hair. It wasn’t hard but enough to show her just how into it that he really was and she couldn’t help but smile at that before placing her lips back around his cock and resuming her pleasuring, this time also working her tongue into it and not just her lips. She slid one of her hands up the man’s thigh and gently cupped his balls in the palm of her hand and kneaded them softly while she sucked him off.   
“Mirra.”  
The sound was music to her ears, not just her name coming from his lips but the way it sounded at that very moment. The sound was one of longing, desire, pleading for more and she loved all of it. Jon’s reactions were encouragement for her and she had always responded well to encouragement. Her other hand she moved to his dick and followed the path her lips took and added another level of stimulation which she was rewarded with another tug of her hair. She smiled as best she could despite her mouth being quite full. It was another few moments of heavy panting from the man before her before she slowly pulled back and ran her tongue back up his chest and instead pressed her lips to his where she was greeted warmly with an open mouth and a tongue in her own.   
Jon kicked off his boots and stepped out of his pants as he entwined one of his hands into Mirra’s hair, the other roaming her back and pulling her tight against him. Mirra wrapped an arm around his shoulder and the other rested against his jaw anchoring his lips to her own as they kissed hungrily. She couldn’t help the passion that had ignited deep in her body the moment that Jon had kissed her. She wrapped her left leg around Jon’s own leg as he quickly turned her and pushed her against the wall like she had done to him. A naughty laugh escaped her lips and Jon felt as much as heard it. His fingers still tangled in her hair found the back of her neck and pulled her even tighter to him, her face closer to his if that was even possible. He didn’t think he’d ever get the chance to be with her this way when he saw the whitewalkers back on the beach and her running towards the fight like the warrior she was. He knew the instant he kissed her that he couldn’t let her go, not ever, and that he couldn’t waste any chance to be with her. Rules of the Watch be damned.   
Jon Snow picked up Mirra in one smooth move, his hands holding her firmly against his chest as she wrapped both of her legs around his waist and held tight as he carried her into the bedroom part of the cabin, their kiss never ending and only growing more passionate. He carefully used his foot to pull the room divider closed behind them before laying Mirra on the heavy fur covered bed and carefully climbing on top of her.   
Mirra could feel his desire pressed firmly against her thigh as one of his hands slid from her hip to her breast and lightly squeezed it while taking her nipple between his fingers and pulling just slightly, enough for her to feel it but not enough for it to hurt and that’s what she liked. Jon stopped kissing her for a moment to catch his breath, adjusting himself so that his dick lay just outside of her, ready to continue or to stop if she wished to.   
“Please Jon.” She breathed in answer, “I want you.”  
“I want you too.” Jon told her in response his lips finding hers again as he slowly pushed into her receiving a moan against his lips and her hand curling into the hair at the base of his skull. Her other hand sliding down his strong back as he thrust.   
Mirra had been with a man before, one of the men of her father’s army, but when her mother found out about their affair she had sent him away to join the gold cloaks at Kings Landing, a place she knew her daughter would never go. This with Jon was nothing she had had with the soldier, physically or emotionally.   
She ran her fingernails along the man’s spine as he pulled his lips from hers to kiss down her neck. She wrapped one of her legs around Jon’s waist and tightened the muscles around him. For Jon’s only experience in love being with Ygritte, he seemed quite skilled to Mirra, most so than pure instinct. He pushed further into her completely erasing her mind as she moaned and dug her nails into his back and not being able to help pulling the hair that she still had her other fingers twined around.   
“You feel so good.” Jon Snow breathed against her neck as she tilted her head to the side to allow him better access to bite her which he did.   
She meant to respond with actual words but the feel of his teeth on her and him inside of her all she could manage was a gasp that turned into a moan. She felt the smile on his lips against her neck and felt her own pulse quicken which she didn’t even know was possible.   
Most men seemed to just plow away at women like they were mere objects to be used for pleasure and cast aside but not Jon Snow. He was generous. It wasn’t just pushing away at high speeds but rather a variation of slow and teasing, hard and fast, and slow and deep. His fingers wound their way into her mane of ebony waves and curled there. His breathing was heavy and labored but he gave no indication he was ready to quit.   
“Jon.” Mirra sighed with pleasure. “More.” Her entire body felt alive, every nerve ignited and electrified. Nothing she had ever experienced in her life compared to this, not even flying over the grounds of Highever on Shadow’s back with the wind whipping through her hair.   
Her lover happily obliged pushing the entire length of himself inside of her as far as he could and moving his hips against hers as she gripped him tight and pulled her other leg around his waist as well. She had to bite her lip to keep from crying out as his movements pushed her over the edge. Mirra of course wasn’t unfamiliar with having an orgasm but this was the first time that a man had been able to give her one through sex. Her legs tightened around his waist and and her fingers dug scratches down his back causing a chill to run down his spine. Her lips she buried in the crook of his neck so she didnt have to be quiet anymore and let out the moan that she was afraid would bring someone running to give them aid that wasn’t needed. Jon pulled her tight against his body and ran his tongue along the outside of her ear before softly nibbling on her lobe. He then turned his head towards her and encouraged her to kiss him which she did, breathless and hungry for his tongue in her mouth again. Mirra could feel Jon’s fingers tighten in her hair and his muscles tense for a moment as he moaned against her lips and came to his own climax.  
Neither one of them moved for a moment, both just enjoying what they had. Their kisses slowing and turning into something softer and more romantic. After a short time, Jon extracted his fingers from her hair and slowly pulled out of her and rolled over onto his back on the bed beside her before pulling her into his arms. Mirra laid her head against his chest and listened to his heartbeat slow down as she enjoyed the feel of his fingers as he lightly ran them down her back. Jon Snow kissed her forehead, long and soft as he squeezed her close. Mirra’s lovely blue eyes closed and she planted her own gentle kiss on his chest.   
“I could stay here forever if we could stop time.” She said softly not wanting to break the serenity of the moment.   
“Aye, as could I love.” Jon replied, his fingers still lightly tracing her spine. As he leaned down to kiss her. 

Mirra opened her eyes to find the sun shining through one of the windows in the room and onto the bed, warming it where it touched. She rolled over under the furs to find Jon still asleep beside her, although her movement caused him to stir and open his eyes to the sun as well.   
“Good morning Jon.” Mirra said, as his eyes focused on her and a smile crossed his face.  
“You’re a lovely sight to wake up to.” Jon told her, reaching over and gently caressing her cheek. He leaned over and kissed her. “I could get used to this.”  
A cloud seemed to cross Mirra’s face at his words and she sat up and in the process pulled away from him. “You can’t. You took vows Jon. You already broke them and I can’t let you do that again, not for me. Your life isn’t worth it.”  
Jon’s handsome wrinkled in confusion. “They wouldn’t kill me. Lord Commander Mormont once told me that if they executed every man who ran away to Mole’s Town in the night that the Wall would manned by ghosts.” He paused and watcher her face, she was listening but the concern still showed in her eyes. “I have feelings for you Mirra. I’d been trying to figure out what to do about them long before last night; it was just that seeing you out there fighting and knowing you could die and that you didn’t seem to care, I had to do something. I had wanted to kiss you for a long time. Being with you just feels right to me, like this is where I should be. How could something that feels like this be wrong?”  
Mirra looked into his dark eyes and saw his sincerity, that there was truth in everything he said and her conviction to do what she thought needed to be done waivered. “I don’t want you to look back and feel like you broke your honor for me, that you compromised who you are and resent me for it or even hate yourself.” She hurried spoke what she needed to before she lost the nerve.  
“You haven’t broken my honor, you never could.” He trailed a finger along her cheek and down her jaw as he said this. “I need you to understand that I could never resent you, not ever. I want to be with you if you will have me.” Jon moved towards her, gently grabbed her face, and he kissed her, trying to convey everything that he had just told her. Mirra’s resolve to end it for his sake crumpled into dust and she knew as long as Jon would have her, she would stay at his side no matter what came. She gave in to his kiss and his touch without any second thoughts or doubts and welcomed him into her again because as long as they remained on the ship, time was stopped for them.


	11. Return to Castle Black

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group has made the journey home to Westeros and Castle Black and has to readjust to life on the other side of the wall.

The journey back to Castle Black took much longer than the original journey to Hardhome. The ships ran in to the path of a storm and it slowed them down considerably, taking double the time to make it home. The few weeks on the ship were confining and everyone was quite anxious to see anything resembling the ground. Mirra spent most of her time up on the deck, looking out over the sea or sparring with anyone who would match her blade which more often than not was Tormund. There were others of his people that would take her on as well, but most of them decided that once was enough and instead they opted to watch. It was something for the people to do instead of sitting in their rooms, which was something Mirra just couldn’t do. She was never one to just sit around and she didn’t like to feel stuck which is why she didn’t go below decks unless she had to. Her nights she always spent with Jon in his chambers and for that reason alone she didn’t want to ever leave the ship; they both knew it couldn’t be the same once returning to Castle Black, they would need to be much more careful to ensure that the order never found out about them.   
As much as the two wished to remain on the ship, their fleet did eventually land back where Stannis had docked them when he came to the north and everyone had to disembark and begin the long trek on foot back to the wall. Mirra had elected to leave her raven hair down, finding that she liked the freedom of it. She pulled her hood over her head against the cold as many others around her did as their army made their way across the snow, surely looking quite formidable for anyone or anything like might be looking on from deep in the woods.  
It took the group hours to finally reach the middle of the wall, the place they needed to be to reenter Westeros. Mirra stood beside the young lord commander as he stopped walking and raised his hand for everyone else to follow suit. They had come to stand directly in front of the large steel door that remained closed. Jon looked slightly nervous as his eyes scaled the wall and came to rest on the figures on top, many were clad in black but Mirra also noticed a couple in her own house colors. Lieutenant Hawthorne was doing exactly what he was supposed to, making sure Thorne didn’t do something stupid which meant the large man in the center must have been Thorne.   
“You don’t think that Thorne would really leave us locked out here do you?” She asked quietly leaning into Jon so as not to be overheard.  
“Honestly, I don’t know. I wish I could tell you that his honor would still make him obey orders but Thorne holds no love for me or the free people.” Jon told her, his dark eyes never leaving the top of the wall.  
“Could we scale it if we had to?” She asked, her eyes scanning the wall for any possible leverage.  
“We could but it’s dangerous and we don’t have any climbing equipment. I did it once with Ygritte and some others and only half of us who tried to make the climb actually made it to the other side and we effectively have an entire army, they would notice us.”  
“I left my lieutenant here on purpose, to make sure we made it back to our side. I don’t trust Thorne.”  
Jon nodded, glad she thought that far ahead as his own honor sometimes kept him from thinking of ours not holding their own oaths. “I hope it doesn’t come to that. We don’t need more bloodshed.”  
They were in luck. The large door started to lift slowly as Jon finished his thought. “It seems that Thorne has more honor for his commander than I thought.” Jon stated more to himself than to Mirra or Tormund or Ed who now stood alongside them. They began to lead their large group through the tunnel in the wall and into the courtyard of Castle Black on the other side.  
It seemed that all the brothers of the watch as well as Mirra’s own house soldiers had gathered to watch the procession through the grounds. Most of the brothers had cleared the courtyard and instead stood along the battlements or inside doorways, almost as if they were afraid to get too close. Throne had come down the lift and now stood at the top of the stairs, saying nothing as they emerged. Jon and Mirra stopped and stood just inside the main gate leading into the wall while Tormund and Ed continued to the main gate, Ed stopped there and Tormund continued as he was the one who was going to lead everyone to their new home. The looks of gratitude that the free people gave to Jon and Mirra as they passed made the whole journey worth while. They saved as many as they could and the the people knew it. There were a few who even stopped and thanked them personally before continuing on out of Castle Black. It took some time for everyone to cross over into Westeros and it seemed that everyone residing in the castle stayed to watch everyone move through. Once the last of the free people had moved outside the main gate and out into the north, the large wooden gates were sealed again and the the heavy steel door we dropped closing off Westeros from what’s beyond the wall.   
“Lord Commander.” Thorne said simply, his voice gruff as Jon and Mirra moved up the stairs onto the landing headed for Jon’s study. Mirra he said nothing to as they passed him. Not that that was unusual, he ignored her more often than not. She didn’t know if that’s because he hated the fact that she agreed with Jon’s plan or simply because she was at Castle Black and she was Jon’s right hand instead of him. Thorne moved past them and down into the yard without another look in their direction.   
“I need to send a raven back to Highever; my parents need to know that I made it back okay. I’ll come and find you later.” Mirra said once Throne was gone.   
“You know where I’ll be.” Jon replied with a smile as she turned and headed for the rookery.  
The rookery was empty upon Mirra’s arrival as it typically was now that Maester Aemon was dead. Sam would still tend to the birds but he spent most of his time in the library. She didn’t mind being alone, she preferred it when she wanted to write anyway. She sat down at a stool on a high table and penned a short letter to her father, letting her family know that she was okay and asking after her mother’s health and pregnancy. The letter she rolled up and sealed with the simple seal of the Night’s Watch before standing and opening the cage to one of the ravens. The bird eagerly climbed onto her arm from its perch and she secured the parchment to its leg before gifting the bird with a small piece of meat. The raven cawed his thanks as Mirra walked over to the open air.   
“To Highever.” She said before gently thrusting her arm out, sending the messenger off in the direction of her estate.   
“I wondered if I might find you here my lady.” A voice said from the doorway.  
Mirra turned, irritation written on her face. “What do you want Ser Thorne?”  
“I have a question to ask you.” He stated simply as he came into the room. “But its hard to find you away from Snow.” The name sounded like venom in his mouth, not something that surprised Mirra as Jon had told her how much the man hated him from the very beginning.  
“Then ask your question.” She said standing her ground with her arms crossed over her chest.  
“Why did you agree to Snow’s plan? Why did you allow the wildlings into Westeros, into your people’s lands?” His tone was neutral and gruff as always but his eyes showed his anger.  
“Because it was the right thing to do. No one should be left to the mercy of the whitewalkers beyond the wall. The Night’s Watch is meant to protect all people, not just those lucky enough to be born on this side. But you should know that already shouldn’t you? You took the vows and heard the Lord Commander’s speech, same as the rest of us. They got lands that no one wanted or would claim, now they aren’t going to waste.” She leveled her gaze with his as she spoke, her words not seeming to make any difference not that she was surprised.  
He scoffed. “Pretty words mean nothing in times of war. You should have stayed in Highever where its safe. You had no business being here in the first place and now you have enemies in the order.” He stepped closer to her, no longer bothering to keep his voice neutral and somewhat calm, now it held a malice in it.   
“Are you threatening me?” She asked, her eyes narrowed.  
“Of course not, it’s a crime to threaten a noble lady, even here. I’m merely saying that the Lord Commander won’t always be able to protect you.” He said, moving ever closer.  
“I don’t need anyone’s protection. This conversation is over.” Mirra stated, her voice firm, as she walked past the man and turned the doorway and the stairways.  
Throne quickly reached out and grabbed her arm, turning her around and pulling her back. “Are you sure about that?”  
Quick as lightning, Mirra pulled her dagger and held it against his throat. “Unhand me.” Her words were even but the threat carried and he dropped his hand, letting her go.  
“My apologies my lady.” He choked out.  
She pressed the weapon into his flesh, leaving a small shallow wound. “Don’t touch me again because next time, I won’t hesitate.” Just like that the dagger was back in its sheath and Mirra was descending the stairs leaving a very angry Aliser Throne standing alone in the rookery.  
It was nightfall when Mirra emerged from her room, her large hood pulled over her head. She made her way into the main area of Castle Black, glad to note that none of the brotherhood were still out. They should all be in their own rooms sleeping now except for those who pulled watch on top of the wall. Even so, she was silent as she made her way to Jon’s study through the shadows. She quietly opened the heavy wooden door and made her way into the room closing the door behind her, it was empty as she figured it would be. Jon would have sent Ollie away for the evening hours ago. Instead she moved through the darkened room and opened another door at the far end. This door opened onto a the Lord Commander’s bedroom, lit by a fire glowing in the fireplace. Jon Snow met her enterance with a smile that spread to her face as well as she closed the door and locked it. He had already stripped off his heavier clothes and was simply wearing only his pants and black shirt. Mirra removed her cloak and her coat upon entering the room and dropped them onto the floor. Ghost looked up from where he slept on some furs in the corner, but upon recognizing her went back to his slumber.  
Jon Snow stood from the bed and wrapped Mirra in his arms, kissing her. Her lips still chilled from her walk here, although they quickly warmed at his touch. “I missed you today.” She spoke against his lips, feeling a hint of a smile as she said this.  
“We should have just stayed on the ship.” He replied, his voice had a light tone to it. He was joking of course, mostly joking anyway. He would have loved to have stayed on Stannis’s ship with Mirra but he had duties at Castle Black and duties to the Night’s Watch and he wouldn’t just abandon them.  
“Maybe in another lifetime.” Mirra said, resting her head against his shoulder. “I don’t mind this lifetime though.” She smiled softly.  
“Neither do I.” He replied, running his thumb along her jawline before kissing her again. His kiss was longing and also loving. It was as if they were back on the ship and there was nothing else except for the two of them and their feelings.  
Sometime later while it was still pitch black outside, Jon and Mirra laid together naked in his bed. Her head rested on his shoulder and she ran her fingers along his bare chest. His fingers traced her spine and combed through her long black hair.  
“Sam is leaving.” He told her suddenly, almost as if he had forgotten to tell her sooner but he hadn’t seen her sooner to tell her before now.  
Mirra seemed confused, her brow wrinkling her pretty face. “Leaving? What do you mean he’s leaving?”  
“He’s leaving Castle Black. He asked me for leave to go to the citadel in Oldtown to become a maester now that Maester Aemon is gone. We can’t just not have a maester and Sam is already a sworn brother. I let him go.” His voice took on a hint of sadness. Sam was his best friend and now he would be gone for quite some time forging his maester’s chain before returning to the wall.   
“I’m sorry Jon. It probably wasn’t easy for him to ask you to leave or even decide to leave.” Mirra told him, knowing what she knew about Sam and how much he loved Jon and admired him.  
“No I don’t imagine it was. But it’s what is best for Sam. He was never cut out to be a warrior and wield a blade. He’ll do better as a maester.” He was resolute and Mirra knew that he had made the best decision.  
“I had a run in with Thorne earlier today.” Mirra started slowly, not quite sure what Jon would say and not wanting him to freak out for something that she didn’t see as any big deal.   
“What did he do?” Jon’s voice took on a hard edge as he moved and propped himself up on his arm so he could look into Mirra’s eyes.  
“He asked me why it is that I agreed with your mission to bring the free people into Westeros. When I told him why, he told me I should have stayed in Highever because I have no business here and now I have made some enemies. He then said that you wouldn’t always be able to protect me and when I told him I don’t need anyone’s protection and went to leave he grabbed my arm. That was his mistake and I gave him a little reminder to make sure he knew that.” Mirra’s deep blue eyes had a mischievous glint to them as she thought of holding her dagger to the man’s throat.  
“It was less than what he deserved I’m sure.” Jon replied, knowing that she wouldn’t have done much except to make him aware of how she skilled she was, sword or no. He should have known better than to try and cross her anyway, he had seen her fight on many occasions and not just always with swords.  
“Probably but he won’t go near me again. He’ll have a hard enough time explaining how he got his newest scar.” Mirra said as Jon seemed to relax upon knowing that she hadn’t been hurt and had handled the situation. He leaned back and lightly brushed his fingers over her arm and down her back.  
“Good.” Jon told her before kissing her. His naked skin was warm against her own and despite the cold and chill that permeated everything this far north, they weren’t cold at all as they spent what time they could together. His tongue slipping into her mouth as he pulled her into his arms and proceeded to make love to her again as he wanted to every night for the rest of his life.


	12. Betrayal at the Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The consequences for Jon's decision involving the Wildings comes to take its due.

The next month passed by on a sort of routinue. Mirra helped Jon with whatever he needed as Lord Commander and spent time training in the yard. She also took over care of the ravens since Sam had left for the Citadel taking Gilly and baby Sam with him. She liked caring for the ravens, it was calming, much like she found brushing Shadow to be. The ravens seemed to take a liking to her as well, many had learned her name and would caw to her when she came to them. Most of her nights she would spend with Jon in his chambers, taking joy in the small snatchs of time they could steal to be together. No one knew about them except for Sam who Jon told before he left and Sam gave a confession of his own about Gilly, and Ed who had pieced it together after being on the ship with them. Tormund of course also knew but he was no threat to them and didn’t care what they did. Mirra had been right about Thorne not going near her, he avoided her if he could help it. Jon was quick to notice the angry cut on his neck where Mirra’s dagger had bit into his skin. He told anyone that asked that he simply cut himself shaving, how many of the black brothers actually believed that was unknown. Castle Black seemed a lot quieter and more somber and sad without Sam around, even those who didn’t much like him, noticed that he was also the happiest person in the keep and that it wasn’t the same with him gone. No one felt the man’s absence more than Jon who Mirra knew was sad to see him go but happy that it was what he wanted. He had sent a raven to Hornhill to await Sam’s arrival. Mirra had received her own raven from her father at Highever telling that her mother was doing fine and her pregnancy was going well. Mirra and Jon were happy to have each other and get to be together when they could. What they didn’t know was that Thorne had been planning something since Jon had brought back the wildlings and allowed them into Westeros and it had come time for that plan to reveal itself and be acted upon.  
Mirra stood in the rookery, looking out over the forests of the north and watching the light snowfall. The sun had gone down not long ago but already it looked like the middle of the night. The only lights visible were those belonging to the men on the wall and a soft glow from lower in the keep although she couldn’t see where as her view of the courtyard below was obscured. She didn’t mind the cold, she had gotten used to it a few weeks after arriving at Castle Black. She pulled her cloak closer around her and raised the hood against the wind. One of the ravens flew from its perch and landed on her shoulder and cawed her name. it was a great grey bird sent from her father, he said he had been training it specifically to carry messages from himself to her at Castle Black. The bird had to be part albino because of its pale grey color and strange purplish eyes, her father had been hoping that because the raven wasn’t black, it would be less likely to be struck down on the off chance it carried an important message and he didn’t want to risk losing a bird that could be carrying something sensitive like news about Rickon. The raven was proving to be quite smart, smarter than any she had under her care. As if in response to her thoughts, the grey raven cawed but the sound was one more of alarm than resembling any word. The sound sent a chill down Mirra’s spine. All of the ravens had been quite vocal today and seemed nervous, almost as if they knew something was amiss when no one else did. The raven on her shoulder cawed again, the sound just as chilling as the first in the quiet night. Mirra reached up a hand to stroke the bird’s head but instead it jumped from her shoulder and landed on the ledge before her, crying its alarm. Mirra’s blood ran cold as she realized that something was truly wrong and her father’s smart raven knew and was trying to tell her. She reached out her hand and the bird climbed back onto her arm and she carried it swiftly to its cage and closed the door. The bird seemed satisfied that she was now heeding his call and was silent as she fingered her sword at her side and hurried out the door and down the stairs, the hood from her cloak falling from her head and the cloak itself fluttering behind her as she rushed down the stairs and into the courtyard.  
She slowed once reaching the end of the stairs and the doorway that opened out into the main yard. She stayed in the shadows and looked out into the yard, it was utterly deserted there was no one in sight. Then her eyes came to rest by the gate to the tunnel leading out beyond the wall. Traitor the sign read, simple and crude. When her gaze moved past the sign to the body in the snow resting in a pool of blood, her heart stopped.  
“Jon!” She meant to scream it but it came out as only a startled gasp; she started running from the doorway and vaulting over the railing of the walkway to land in the snow and rush over to where he lay. She fell to her knees beside him and pulled off her black glove feeling for any sort of pulse, her eyes teared up when she turned up nothing. His skin was already turning cold.   
“My lady?” Came a voice from the main staircase.  
Mirra angrily wiped the tears from her eyes and swallowed her pain as she turned to see Ser Davos, his face turned white as he saw Jon laying broken in the snow. “Go find Ed and the few others that Jon trusted as well as my lieutenant. Don’t tell anyone what you’ve seen. Someone here did this and that means we don’t know who to trust.” Her voice had an edge to it, as sharp as Valyrian steel. She was angry and she was heartbroken. The older man merely nodded as he ran off to find the few men that could be trusted and left the young lady kneeling in the snow, holding a broken body.  
It only took a few minutes from him to return with three of the black brothers, those that Jon trusted beyond a doubt, and Hawthrone. All four men went white as the snow when they saw the grisly sight but all moved to her side anyway.  
“We need to get him inside before anyone else happens into the courtyard although it seems this was well organized.” Mirra stood and brushed the snow from her knees barely noticing the blood that stained her hands, her deep blue eyes holding a fire in them that no one had ever seen before. “The rest will come for us once they know that we’ve taken him and locked ourselves away.”  
“If that’s the case, then we need all the help we can get, should this turn into a fight.” Ed spoke up, sounding angry as he should be. “I’ll go to the wildling lands and see if they will come to aid us. Jon got them away from the Whitewalkers and Tormund is his friend, they might come.”  
Mirra nodded along with the others who were gathered. “You should go now, before anyone has chance to stop you. Take Shadow. He’s faster than any horse in the stables and that’s what you need right now. You’ll need this.” She removed her cloak and handed it over to Ed who seemed puzzled. “Shadow won’t trust you, he doesn’t know you. Use this and it should help.”   
The man quickly ran off in the direction of the stables and vanished from sight. Mirra turned her attention to Hawthrone, ignoring the chill that was permeating her body now that her cloak was gone. “You need to round up my father’s men and wait together for the signal. If Ed returns with the free people, that’s your que to join the fight. I know you could take them now but I wont risk people dying who don’t need to, we’ll wait.”   
“Yes my lady.” Hawthrone bowed to her and ran off to gather his men and prepare to fight.  
“The rest of us need to find somewhere to lock ourselves up and prepare to fight. Thorne won’t let us off easy, he will want us gone, just like Jon. Leave no witnesses and the like.” Her eyes moved to Jon’s own lifeless ones. A lump formed in her throat and she reached down and softly closed his eyes.  
“What about that wolf of his? Does it trust any of you?” Davos said, already thinking ahead.  
Mirra nodded. “Ghost trusts me. I’ll go get him, just take Jon somewhere safe.”   
The three men nodded and moved to lift the Lord Commander from the snow and carry him to a room in the castle where they would be relatively safe. Mirra ignored the bite of the wind and made her way to the opposite stables where Ghost was housed when he wasn’t with Jon because he made people nervous. She threw the bolt and opened the door and the large white direwolf just stared at her sadly, he knew something was wrong. Direwolves are smart, some said they were smarter than people and Ghost certainly seemed to be. Mirra reached her hand out and stroked the large wolf’s head. “It looks like it might just be me and you Ghost.” Her voice was soft and sad as she spoke to the wolf who nudged against her, understanding and sharing in her sorrow. The pair quietly left the stables and Mirra made a small stop in Jon’s own chambers to grab Longclaw and his heavy black cloak which she threw on her own shoulders and clasped. They moved quickly back through the keep, silent as the night, until Davos emerged from somewhere else and brought them into a room they had claimed as their own. Jon’s trusted friends stood off to the side, their hands resting on the swords at their sides. Davos closed the door behind them, locking it with a loud clack. Ghost immediately left her side and went to lay beside the table where they had laid Jon’s body; Mirra could see in his dark red eyes that losing his master had broken his heart much as it had broken her own.   
No one in the room said anything as she slowly moved across the room and gently laid Longclaw down at Jon’s side, right where it belonged. It was his sword and it had served him well, she didn’t want it in someone else’s hands. She pulled her gloves off and ran her fingertips lightly down his cheek, his skin no longer held any warmth and was cool to the touch. Ignoring the others in the room, she leaned over and lightly kissed his lips, the closest she would ever get to being able to tell him goodbye. What could the Night’s Watch do to him for their relationship now anyway? He was already dead and she hadn’t broken any laws in her feelings for him. When she straightened, and donned her gloves again, she saw that the others had turned away, giving her a quiet moment alone to grieve as best she could under the circumstances.   
Mirra Theirin began pacing the room, Jon’s black cloak billowing behind her as she walked.   
“Now we must wait for daylight and for Ed to return.” Ser Davos said, noticing her pacing.  
“For Thorne and the rest of his traitors to realize what we’ve done and to try and come for us too before we can alert anyone as to their treason.” One of the brother’s said, pulling his sword. “I’ll give them the king’s justice myself.”  
“No, I will. I’ll execute them all myself in my father’s name.” Mirra stated as she stopped her pacing and gazed out the window, looking to see any hint of sunrise even though she knew how far off it was.   
The man nodded, in his own way putting her in charge of their little justice mission.   
“That’s only if Ed returns with our army. If they won’t come, it will only be your men and us against anyone in the Night’s Watch who will stand against us and that’s not a sure win.” Davos said, speaking bluntly. “I agree with what we are doing, Jon Snow was a good man and his murder is treason, its mutiny and it cannot stand. We are just relaying on people who have a history of hating this order and trying to kill them.”  
“The free people will come.” Mirra replied firmly. “You didn’t see what I saw in their eyes when we saved them and brought them here. They will come to help us.”  
“I hope that you are right my lady or this fight will be hard won.” Davos replied solemnly, he didn’t have any wish to die in Castle Black but he wasn’t a man who would abandon something he believed in, no matter the odds.  
The room stayed silent except for the howling of the wind outside and the soft sounds Mirra’s boots made on the wooden floor when she opted to pace for the room instead of sitting at Jon Snow’s side. At this point they were only waiting for sunrise, for the black brothers to wake up, for Throne to realize that the body was gone and someone wasn’t on his side, for him and his men to come and try to force their hand, and they still had a few hours to wait before the sun would begin to hit the wall and signal morning. They all waited somewhat impatiently, the four of them all hoping that Ed would be successful in bringing Tormund and his people to their aid. Sooner than they all hoped the sun rose and they all began to hear the sound of footsteps all around them and voices talking and laughing as they made their way to break their fast and then on to the duties of the day. Mirra could hear Thorne’s gruff voice shouting from somewhere else in the keep. She seemed to hold her breath much like the others as suddenly many footsteps came in their direction and stopped just outside. The handle was tried and on not opening, there was a sigh.   
“So you found him before anyone was supposed to.” Thorne said through the wood, his voice was coarse and angry as it always seemed to be. “He was a traitor and he needed to be stopped. He betrayed everything the Night’s Watch stood for in letting those animals into Westeros. He had to be put down.”  
“He was the only one doing what was right and upholding what the Night’s Watch stands for!” One of Jon’s friends called out in return. “He saved people from Whitewalkers. That’s what the Night’s Watch is supposed to do. Not kill innocent people just because they are different.”  
“Pretty words mean nothing, not to me. They got your friend killed and you will soon be joining him unless you surrender, all of you.”  
“We won’t surrender to a the leader of a mutiny who committed treason. The punishment for that is death.” Davos said, his voice firm and unwavering.  
“Ah, Ser Davos. I should have known that you would be here. Lord Stannis was always one for rules and order and you were his right hand. I suppose now you are the right hand of Lady Mirra aren’t you? She has lead you down a path you can’t come back from, surrender now and you can live. The brothers with you can return to their duties, you Ser Davos can return home to Dragonstone or wherever you wish. I will even let Lady Mirra run home to Highever, none the worse for wear but you have to surrender now, unlock the door, and let us have the body.”  
“You killed him.” Mirra’s usually beautiful voice was now dark and full of malice, her words dripped with venom. The direwolf at her feet issused a low growl towards the door. “I will never surrender to you. I would rather die.” Her tone was even, her words carried a heavy weight behind them and if her eyes could kill, Aliser Thorne would be dead where he stood beyond the door.  
“Don’t be so hasty to decide and go to your death. I’ll give you until sunset to give me your final decision before I break the door down and put you all to the sword.” He was angry at being defied but also didn’t want a needless fight that might get him killed. He didn’t want to go toe to toe with Mirra fueled by all her grief and rage or that beast belonging to the late Lord Commander.  
“I’ll be the one putting you to the sword.” Mirra replied, unsheathing the dagger at her thigh and launching it at the door where it embedded itself in the wood right at head level with a loud thwunck. “Or don’t you remember what that feels like?” She could almost see the man turn red in his anger at her mention of holding him at knife point and threatening his life.  
“Til sunset.” Was all that he said before he marched off angrily with his men to go about the day’s duties or to go impatiently wait for the sun to set and plan how to kill them which was probably the more likely option.


	13. Execution or Salvation?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The deadline has come for Mirra's small band of rebels and they either face a fight against the Night's Watch or rescue at the hands of the free people.

The hours seemed to pass equally as fast as they did slow. The room stay relatively quiet, each person there simply waiting anxiously for either their execution or their salvation if Ed returned in time and if he had the wildling horde with him. The two brothers of the Night’s Watch that were there spent most of their time sharpening their blades on a whetstone or declaring their revenge on those responsible for their friend and Lord Commander’s death. Ser Davos simply sat patiently upon a stool, staring at the door, his face ever hard and never changing. Mirra was certain that he learned that look from Lord Stannis as he was always a hard person and appeared to always have an angry expression carved into the marble of his face. Mirra herself alternated between sitting on a stool beside Jon’s body and trying to comfort Ghost or pacing the room with Jon’s heavy cloak flowing out behind her as she paced. If she wasn’t doing either of those things, she was throwing her dagger into the heavy wooden door, trying to blow off some steam and release some of her anger; it didn’t appear to be working. She had already decided that she would never fall to Thorne’s blade, instead her own dagger would find its way to her heart. She refused to let that snake win. Before too long the sun started to dip below the horizon signaling their final deadline to surrender and they were just as resolute to do what they were doing. Soon they heard heavy footfalls on the stairs and in the hall before they stopped just outside the door.   
“Times up.” Thorne said, knocking on the door. “Surrender now or die for nothing.”  
“You’ll have to cut us down right here. We will not surrender.” Mirra replied standing up from where she stood and drawing Wintersbreath with the sound of steel on leather.   
“Is it the fate you all choose? Ser Davos you could go home to your family and even Jon’s old allies could still keep a place in the order. Someone just has to kill her or unlock the door.” Thorne spoke carefully, almost softly as if he was trying to entice them to change their sides or possibly didn’t want too many people to overhear how he was currently plotting to kill a noble woman to cover up his own treason.   
“I stand for what’s right and I stand here with Lady Mirra.” Ser Davos replied as he also stood and drew his blade.  
“We will not surrender either. Jon was our friend and a good man and you had no right to murder him in cold blood.”   
“So be it.” Thorne said angrily through gritted teeth. Soon there was a loud cracking sound as an axe was swung into the door.  
Ghost stood and moved to Mirra’s side where he got down low and bared his teeth, emitting a low growl, ready to protect the next closest person he had to a master. The sound of the axe fell again and started to splinter the wood on their side. The axe was wretched from the door and came down hard again, the very tip of the axe head peeking through before it was pulled from the wood. Mirra held her dagger, ready to launch it at the first person she got a good shot at on the other side of the door but before the axe could strike down again, there was heavy shouting coming from out in the courtyard and then the sounds of fighting, steel on steel. A large smile crossed Mirra’s lovely face and for a moment she didn’t look as dark as she had been since finding Jon laying in the snow drift. There was a sound of footsteps running quickly down the hallway and out into the courtyard to see what they were dealing with.  
“I owe you an apology my lady.” Ser Davos said turning to her. “Your gods have been kind to us.”  
“Then we should go help our friends.” She said already moving to the door with Ghost at her side and throwing the bolt, pulling the door open.   
There was one man left standing in the hallway, one of Thorne’s known lackeys. Before the man could even sound the alarm to those out fighting, Mirra threw a kick to the man’s knee bringing him down and then grabbing his head and bashing it into her knee as well, knocking the man out cold as he hit the floor. “Drag him with us.” She said to one of the brotherhood who grabbed the man by the collar and dragged him out into the courtyard with them. Mirra was moved by what she saw. Most of the Night’s Watch had dropped their weapons and surrendered to Tormund and his men to avoid being slaughtered. There were only a small cluster of men still holding weapons, ready to fight and Thorne stood at the front.   
“Give up Thorne, surrender. You’ve lost and you’ll pay for your crimes. How quick your death is depends on whether you all surrender and admit your guilt or drag this out into a fight. If you chose the later, you will be praying for the sweet embrace of death by the time we are done with you and the gods are not kind to traitors and treason. You’ll find no mother’s mercy here. The seven hold no sway, this is the north and only the old gods rule here.” Mirra spoke loudly, her voice carried and she sounded sure and powerful as she spoke, something she had picked up all the times she had heard her father speak to the other nobles under him or to his army. She moved down the stairs and out into the courtyard to stand in front of the free people who had come to their aid, all of them still with weapons poised for a fight. A quick survery around the keep also yielded views of the archers they had trained on the treasonous men who had slain Jon Snow. The large white direwolf at Mirra’s side added to her air of power and command as did Jon’s cloak around her shoulders.  
The former knight looked from Mirra Theirin to Ed and Tormund and all the wildlings behind them. Finally his eyes came to rest on Ghost, the direwolf stood quietly and calmly at the northern woman’s side but the hate he saw in those ruby eyes chilled his blood. He spat angrily and slowly lowered his sword to the ground, submitting to surrender. His men dropped their weapons as well, even Ollie who seemed angrier than Thorne at being forced into submission by the very people they hated most.   
“Smart decision. Throw them in cells and chain them. We can properly execute them later.” Mirra said, finding it difficult to keep the smugness out of her voice.   
“With pleasure.” Tormund said with a wicked grin as he and some of the other wildlings and some of the brothers of the Night’s Watch moved to the traitors and marched them out of the courtyard and down into the cells to be locked up to await the king’s justice delivered at Lady Mirra Theirin’s own hand.   
“What about us my lady?” One of the Night’s Watch timidly asked her, no doubt afraid that he was going to be thrown in a cell to await execution as well.  
“You surrendered. The rest of you will go about your duties as usual and you will all see to it that the free people who came here will be welcomed and treated with respect as any guest to Castle Black.” Mirra replied, sheathing her sword.  
“Who will we answer to with Lord Commander Snow dead?”  
Mirra’s deep blue eyes grew sad. “The Lord Commander trusted Ed, you can report to him. I have other things I need to take care of.” With that being said, she left the young man standing there and she retreated back to Jon’s body with Ghost padding softly at her side and his cloak billowing in the wind behind her.  
She hadn’t been alone long before Tormund found his way to the room and seemed to stand by the door, unsure of what to do or maybe what to say.  
“You can come in Tormund. Jon considered you a friend, you don’t have to stand back like an outsider.” Mirra said to him without looking up, her back towards the door.   
There was the soft of footsteps as the red haired man moved to join her at the table, standing opposite.   
“It’s strange to see him like this. I’ve seen him survive and fight off all manner of things. He fought a whitewalker and won!” Tormund said, almost more to himself than to Mirra.  
“You can’t protect yourself from those around you when they appear to be on your side. Jon was kind and he was trusting, things I loved about him, but they’re also what got him killed. He should have sent Thorne to East Watch where he would be no trouble.” Mirra responded anyway, her tone sorrowful, the fight almost seeming to have gone out from her now that Thorne and his coconspirators were locked away. “Thank you for coming to help us. You didn’t have to.”  
“I know. We wanted to. He helped us when he didn’t have to, the least that we could do was come to help his allies and avenge his murder. You are planning to kill them aren’t you?”  
“Oh yes, they will be executed. No mercy will be shown, not for this.”   
Tormund seemed satisfied with her answer and was silent for a time. Ed walked in slowly holding Mirra’s cloak in his hand.  
“My lady, your cloak.” He said softly coming to join the mourners at the table.  
“Thank you.” She said, unclasping Jon’s heavy cloak and setting it aside on the table before doning her own hooded cloak and clasping it around her shoulders.  
“Shadow is an amazing animal, quick and smart and understanding. He gave me no trouble when he saw I had your cloak. I think he knew that something was wrong and he had an important job to do.” Ed told her, admiration in his voice for Mirra’s prized stallion.  
A smile crossed her somber face as it always did in reference to Shadow. “I’m sure he did. He understands things like that, senses people’s emotions and feelings. He knew to have something of mine and to smell of me you must be trusted.” Mirra once again picked up Jon’s cloak and laid it over him like a blanket almost.  
“He was the happiest I’ve ever seen him with you.” Ed said quietly observing her as she laid the cloak over his friend. Tormund nodded his agreement.   
It took Mirra a short moment to realize that Ed had changed from talking of Shadow to talking of Jon.  
“I’ve known him for six years and I’ve never seen him as happy as he has been since you’ve been here, especially the last few months. Most people couldn’t tell what you two were and that’s probably what you intended since it would be seen as breaking his vows, but I always knew. It was good for him, he needed it, needed someone like you.” Ed continued, giving a perspective of someone seeing what they had from the outside looking in. “I hope I haven’t overstepped in telling you this.”  
“No you haven’t. I needed to hear it.” Mirra replied, her smile now saddened.  
“Lady Mirra, why don’t you go rest?” The new voice belonged to Ser Davos who entered the room.  
“I don’t need rest. I’m fine right where I am.”   
“You’ve been up for over a day now and you’ll be no good to anyone if you can’t even stand from fatigue. Please go rest my lady, even if only for a couple of hours. I will stay here and keep your vigil.” The older man came to stand beside her and look into her eyes.  
“Alright, but only for a few hours.” Mirra replied, not quite willing to admit how much she needed sleep. She pulled her hood over her head and left the room, her fingers brushing against Jon’s own as she moved from the table. One of her own men was standing outside in the hall.  
“Let me guess. The lieutenant told you to stay with me for my own protection?” She asked the man as she passed him and he began to follow her.  
“Yes Lady Mirra. He just wanted to make sure that everyone who might wish you harm is in a cell and not roaming around out here.” He told her quickly as he followed her towards her own chambers. She felt if she laid down in Jon’s bed, she wouldn’t get any rest.   
“As you wish then.” Mirra didn’t have enough left in her to fight with one of her own soldiers over something so trivial especially when it was only for her own protection. “Wake me in a couple hours if I’m not already awake. That’s an order.” With that being said, she closed the door to her room and dropped down onto the bed. She didn’t even bother undressing or even removing her boots. She quickly unbuckled her weapons and dropped them to the floor before pulling her cloak around her and falling asleep.


	14. The Resurrection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A ritual is undergone that could change everything that's been known for far about life and death and what is possible.

Mirra was not asleep for very long, only an hour or two. She was plagued by nightmares of Jon laying there in a pool of blood, cold and alone and haunting visions of Thorne laughing as he shoved a sword through the man’s heart. At least that’s the way she pictured it as she wasn’t actually there to see it happen. She awoke suddenly, her heart pounding and a scream on her lips which she held back upon opening her eyes. She moved from the bed and once again attached her sword and dagger to her person before exiting the room.   
“My lady that was hardly any sleep at all.” The man said, tripping over his words somewhat as if he wasn’t sure how to proceed.  
“It was sleep enough. I have more important things I need to do besides being haunted by my own thoughts.” Mirra said briskly as she left the corridor and moved into the courtyard in the direction of the cells where they had locked away the conspirators. “There’s someone I have to speak to. Stay here.”  
She didn’t give the young man a chance to object before she hurried away and entered another corridor before coming to the room where the prisoners had been chained up. She found Tormund standing guard outside the door and wasn’t at all surprised to see him.   
“It’s nice to be on the other side of this door for a change.” He managed as he gestured to the heavy door behind him and the same room where himself had been held prisoner by the Watch a couple of years ago when the wildlings had attacked Castle Black.   
“It’ll be nicer to see them on a burning pyre.” Mirra said, her voice as cold as the air around her.  
He couldn’t help but give a hearty laugh at that as he shared her sentiment.   
“I came to have a few words with our traitors while they can still speak.” She continued.  
“All yours. They’ve been mostly quiet though.”  
“We’ll see.” Mirra responded as Tormund moved aside and she threw the large bolt that locked the door from the outside and stepped into the room, pulling the door closed behind her.   
The scene in front of her was what she figured she would find, angry lackey’s of Thorne and Thorne himself chained to the walls and floors of the stone room with nothing to keep them warm but what they were wearing. It appeared that some of the men who had dragged them down here had roughed them up on the journey and Mirra wasn’t even upset about it; they deserved much worse for what they had done.   
“Come to kill us already?” Thorne spat angrily.  
“No, I haven’t. I also don’t see it as killing, it’s an execution, a deserved punishment for what you’ve done. If I only sought to murder you, I would have out there in the yard, while you were all surrounded. The thought has crossed my mind to leave you here to starve to death, suffer a fate worse than death.”  
“You can’t execute us! You have no authority. You’ll be a murderer too!” Ollie yelled from a corner further back into the room.  
“Oh but I do. I have my father’s authority. He sent me here with his men under his orders flying his banners and carrying his seal. I’m his blood and as the only noble here and the lord commander dead and no one appointed to his position, I’m the next one with the authority to carry out the king’s justice.” Mirra said evenly, almost as if she was reading from a book.  
Ollie visibly paled at her words and instead he turned to Thorne. “She can’t really do that can she?”  
“She is unfortunately telling the truth.” Thorne replied, never taking his steely gaze away from Mirra.  
“We should have killed you too!” One of the other men spoke up as he looked at her.  
“Too bad for you that you didn’t. Thorne you once told me that I made an enemy of the Night’s Watch by supporting Jon Snow’s plan. You all have made an even greater enemy. Your order didn’t even stand with you, not once they were outnumbered and it came out what you had done. You haven’t even changed a thing. The free people still live in Westeros where they will remain. Your family is still dead Ollie, nothing will change that.”  
“The traitor is dead too and there’s nothing you can do to fix it.” Ollie yelled angrily, trying to stand but pulled back down by the chains on his wrists and ankles.   
“But our gods will be kind to him and the same cannot be said for any of you.” Mirra responded, ignoring the jab from Ollie who didn’t even understand just what he had said. “You can all think on what awaits you after death. It will be some time longer before you see another face in this cell.” The young noble turned on her heels, her cloak swirling around her as she moved through the doorway and threw the heavy bolt closed behind her.  
“Did they give you anything?” Tormund asked her once the door closed.  
“I didn’t come here looking for anything, I came here to get under their skin and make sure they knew what is going to be coming to them.” Mirra replied as she walked away from the prisoners and their guard and made her way back to the room where Jon’s body still lay. She knew that soon they would have to build a pyre and burn him but she couldn’t do it, not yet.  
When she arrived back at the room, she found Ser Davos sitting on the same stool she had vacated not long ago, whittling a little wolf no doubt for Princess Shireen whenever he would see her again. Ghost laid under the table, he didn’t appear to have moved since Mirra had left. He looked up at the sound of footsteps and recognition crossed his red eyes but he made no move to greet her.   
“Lady Mirra-“ Davos began before she held up a hand and stopped him.  
“Please, just Mirra.” She asked him as she once again approached the table. She ran her fingers through the loose black curls around his face, still soft and lifelike unlike the rest of him.  
“Mirra, we might be able to bring him back.” Davos told her, standing from the stool and watching her expectantly.   
She turned to face him quick as lightning, looking for anything that might prove he was lying. “What do you mean bring him back? You can’t bring back the dead, no matter how much you may wish it. Trust me, if you could he would have come back the moment I found him.”  
“We can’t but Lady Melisandre can, or rather her god can is what she says and that she is only an instrument.” Davos replied carefully, not wanting to make it seem like something it wasn’t.   
“What he says is true. The Lord of Light can bring back the dead if he wills it. I’ve seen my mentor do it before. Its possible.” The red woman entered the room like a shadow, her crimson gown as red as her hair and the large ruby at the base of her neck.  
“Have you yourself done it before?” Mirra asked urgently, turning to look at the strange woman who had fled Stannis Baratheon’s camp and returned to Castle Black and would not speak of why.  
“No but I know how to do it and I’m your only hope if you ever want him to rejoin the living.” She said speaking evenly, never making a promise to bring him back, only that she could do it and if her god willed it, it would be.  
“And you’ll do this?”   
“I will try, if the Lord of Light wills it, he will return.” Melisandre said, moving to the body on the table.   
She turned to Ed and Tormund who now stood together in the doorway and she gave them a list of things that she would need, both men asked no questions and simply left to seek out what she needed. Then she moved back to the table and removed Jon’s cloak and moved Longclaw from the table before she moved to undress the body.  
Mirra grabbed her wrist and stalled her hand. “What are you doing?”  
“It’s how the procedure works, the skin needs to be bare.”  
“Then I’ll do it.” Mirra said, dropping the woman’s wrist and taking her place at the table where she began to remove the layers of Jon’s clothing. As she pulled off the final blood stained shirt, she gasped at the number of stab wounds she saw. She never imagined that it had been so many. She slowly traced her fingertips along each one in turn, feeling the pain in her heart that he surely felt with each stab. She moved to his pants and left him on the table in only his small clothes and stepped back.   
Soon Jon’s closest friends returned with everything the red priestess would need to complete her ritual and hopefully bring back Jon Snow from beyond the grave.  
As Melisandre prepared in the dying light of day, Davos, Ed, and Tormund stood back watching from a distance. Mirra had managed to coax Ghost out from under the table and to sit at her side where she stood far enough back from the table to stay out of the way but close enough to observe. No one in the room spoke, they all simply watched the red priestess move about the room until finally she stood at the table and began to chant softly as she used a wet cloth to wipe the blood from Jon’s body.   
Mirra watched her carefully, her face like a mask betraying nothing of what she felt on the inside. Her only movement was to stroke the large direwolf’s head. Once all the blood was gone and the body was clean, Melisandre moved to the head of the table and began to wet Jon’s hair and brush it out with her fingers still chanting softly as she did so. Mirra was finding it a little hard to watch as she herself had ran her fingers through Jon’s dark curls many times over the past several weeks since that first night on the ship. The fact that Jon had also told her of how the red woman had tried to seduce him made it even harder to watch, the fact that Jon had turned her down flat and told her he didn’t need her god or anything else she offered only gave some comfort, it didn’t matter that this had happened before Mirra had even arrived at Castle Black. Mirra’s blue eyes moved to the others standing not far off, all of them seeming uncomfortable and unsure. The Lord of Light was no god to any of them; Ser Davos worshipped the seven, Tormund was from beyond the wall and their gods were the old gods, Mirra was from an ancient Northern house and she kept the old gods as well, and Ed had found himself in the sept when he felt troubled; no doubt the three men were thinking what it might mean if she succeeded. Mirra wasn’t. All she could think of was seeing his eyes open and feeling his skin warm again. If Melisandre succeeded, she still wouldn’t believe it was her god. They were in the north after all, Jon Snow was a Stark and he held the old gods, they were in the domain of his gods and her own. If Jon came back, she knew it would be her gods working through the woman from Asshai, not the woman’s so called Lord of Light.   
Finally Melisandre stopped her washing and her combing and stepped back and simply chanted, her words now different and louder than before. As she continued, the fire in the brazier seemed to blaze brighter and dance almost to the words she spoke. As she came to the end of her chant, the fire flared and then died back to normal and everyone in the room besides the priestess held their breath. Nothing happened. His eyes didn’t open, his chest didn’t move, his skin didn’t start to color, nothing.   
“I’m truly sorry my lady. I did all I could.” Melisandre looked to Mirra, her eyes sad. The red woman then turned and left the room, there was no longer any need of her and she would only be interrupting their grief.   
Ed and Tormund gave one last look at their friend and the too left the room, not knowing what else to do or say.  
“Lady Mirra, we will have to prepare a pyre.” Ser Davos said, watching as Ghost left the woman’s side and returned to his vigil under the table.  
“It’s wrong. He should be returned home to Winterfell, buried with his father and his brother, bastard or not it’s what his father would have wanted. But that’s not an option because Roose Bolton sold out Robb and took Winterfell. There is no home to return him to.” Mirra said absently, sadly, moving back to the table and brushing a loose curl from her lover’s face.  
“Then the best we can do is a pyre here. This was the next best thing he had to home.” Davos said to her.   
“I know but not yet. Give me a little more time.” Mirra asked him looking into his eyes. “I need to say my final goodbyes.”  
“Of course.” Davos gave her a slight nod as he too left the room leaving the young lady alone with the late Lord Commander and his most trusted companion.  
Mirra Theirin took a seat on the stool again and said nothing, she simply sat there trying to think about her goodbye, her final words to someone who wouldn’t even hear them. Ghost laid a large paw on her foot as if he was trying to comfort her, to show her that she wasn’t quite alone, that she had him. Suddenly there was a large gasp from the table in front of her.  
“Jon?!” Mirra stood and saw that Jon’s deep brown eyes were now open and he shivered as he sat up. “Ser Davos!” She screamed.  
The older man came rushing back into the room and his jaw almost hit the floor as he saw Jon Snow now seated on the table very much alive. “By the gods.” He mumbled more to himself than to anyone else as he came over and removed his own cloak and pulled it over Jon’s shoulders to try and help with the cold.  
“Mirra.” Jon said as he touched her hand with his own. It was still cold but Mirra could feel the warmth and the life beneath it all the same. His other hand he moved to cup her cheek and gently stroke her face  
“She was here the entire time, she was the one who found you there in the snow. Do you remember anything?” Davos asked as Jon moved from sitting on the table to the stool that Mirra had vacated when he had awoken. Ghost also moved from his position under the table to sit at his master’s side.  
“I remember everything, all that happened. I remember the faces and the way their blades felt as they stabbed me. I remember hearing Mirra call my name but thought I had imagined it and then nothing until I woke up here.” He looked around the room, knowing his surroundings but seeming unsure as to why he was even here alive.  
“Melisandre brought you back.” Mirra told him. She still felt a strong sense of dislike and distrust for the red priestess but she also was extremely grateful for what she had done.  
“How?”  
“She claims it was by the power of her Lord of Light but only the Old Gods hold domain out here.” Mirra replied as she moved to the table where his clothes had been laid and carried them back so he could begin to fight off the cold.   
“Then they must have some sort of plan for me.” He mused, agreeing with Mirra that it was their own gods that had brought him back. “Where are Thorne and the others?” He dressed quickly and returned Ser Davos’s cloak to him as he doned his own.   
“They’re locked away.” Davos put in. “They’re awaiting their execution.”  
Jon Snow looked to Mirra and held her blue eyes with his own. “At your hand?”  
“Indeed, in my father’s name.”   
The young man gave her a small smile and ran his fingers down her cheek again before turning his attention back to Lord Stannis’s right hand man who seemed uncomfortable like he was intruding on a moment he didn’t belong in.   
“Ser Davos, I need you to gather the members of the order and set them to work on building a gallows, one large enough for all those imprisonsed. You’re in charge. I’ll worry about the executions tomorrow, I have more important things to do now.”   
“Yes my lord.” Davos responded and hurried from the room.  
The moment he was gone Jon Snow swept Mirra into his arms and kissed her as if for the first time in a hundred years.  
“I thought I lost you.” He told her.  
“Lost me? I did lose you Jon. You died there in the snow, in my arms.”  
“Never again. Do you know what I thought as I lay there in my last moments?”  
“No, just what I thought when I found you.”  
“I thought that I never even got the chance to tell you that I’m madly in love with you Mirra.” His words were said after a deep breath for courage.  
The smile that crossed her face was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. “I’m in love with you too Jon Snow. I think I have been for a long time. The seeds were sown when we were still children. There was always whispered talk about me marrying Robb someday once we were old enough but it was never Robb I wanted to marry, it was you. Then when I came here and we started to grow close again after all those years away, I truly fell in love with you and I understand all it means.”  
“You know that means you can never marry me. I’m only a bastard son, I can’t give you anything except my heart.” Jon told her solemnly, his voice sounding sad.  
“That’s all I need. I fell in love with you as you, as you are. I don’t care that you’re a bastard, I just care that you love me.”  
“I do love you.”  
“Then nothing else matters.” She smiled and that smile washed away all his sadness and all his doubts because in that moment, he knew what she said was true and that’s all he wanted.  
Later that night as they lay in bed together, Mirra softly ran her fingers along the marks inflicted by the blades. They were no longer wounds and were now only scars, her delicate fingers paused on the one directly above his heart. “What does this mean?” She asked suddenly. “I mean once they’re hanged in the morning, does everything go back to the way it was? You’ll resume your duties?”  
“I fulfilled my oath to the Night’s Watch, I served until my death. I died at my post. There are no rules about dying and being resurrected which means I am no longer a man of the Night’s Watch. Executing the traitors will be my final act as Lord Commander then we are free to do as we wish. There are no rules being broken by being together anymore.” Jon told her as he absently ran his fingers along her back and planted a long soft kiss on her forehead. It was the first time he had really thought on it and fully realized what his death and resurrection meant. He was free, free to do whatever he chose to do, free to be with Mirra with no one to hide it from, the thought brought a smile to his face. He pulled her to him and kissed her, running his fingers through her hair and down the back of her neck.  
“You’re serious?!” Mirra looked into his dark eyes and saw that he meant it.   
“I am. I served my oath and now I’m free to do as I wish and what I wish is to be with you.” Jon kissed her once again, feeling freer than he ever had before.  
“Wish granted.” Mirra said as she returned his kiss and much more the rest of their night, the first night of their new life together.


	15. My Watch has Ended

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon Snow's reign as Lord Commander comes to close at the executions of his betrayers

When morning came Mirra was in no hurry to quickly dress and slip out of Jon’s room unseen; there was no point to it anymore. The man in question rolled over and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her neck.  
“Good morning my lady.” He said, his voice still thick with sleep which Mirra couldn’t help but finding sexy. It tempted her even more to stay between the sheets with him for the rest of the day if not the rest of the week.  
“Good morning love.” She replied with a smile, savoring the moment and nestling into his embrace.  
“Do you think that Ser Davos has told any of the Night’s Watch that you’re alive?” Mirra asked knowing that before too long their allies would come looking for them as they had much to do today such as executions.  
“I’m assuming he hasn’t or someone would have come to find me already. He probably told Tormund and Ed and the others who stood with you against Thorne but a majority of them are probably still in the dark and will be quite surprised to see me walk over to the deliver the executions.” Jon replied planting another kiss on her neck before turning her head to him and kissing her softly. “Unfortunately, I think it’s time we get up now before someone does come looking for us.” With that Jon smiled at her and moved from the bed. Mirra’s blue eyes pulled again to the scars that now decorated his chest and abdomen, her mind pulled back to a couple nights ago as she too stood in the cold air of the room and began to dress.  
As if in answer to the question, there was a knock on the door causing Ghost to become alert from where he sat by the fire and move to his master’s side. Mirra quickly donned her cloak as Jon finished dressing and went to answer the door. Revealed on the other side were Ser Davos, Ed, and Tormund. The later had a smile on his face as big as anyone had ever seen, more happy than surprised to catch the two of them together. His companions on the other hand, looked away shyly as if seeing something they weren’t supposed to. Both knew of the relationship but neither thought it had gone as far as it had and that Jon Snow who was always honorable would break his vow to the order even for love.  
“The gallows are finished. Did you want us to round up all of the order and bring out the traitors?” Davos finally asked.  
“Yes, I’ll make the final preparations that I need to and I’ll meet you out there. Very efficient for them to finished in only a night”  
Davos and Ed quickly left to go find all the black brothers and send them to the courtyard. Tormund moved to leave also, the large smile still on his face, when Mirra spoke up. “I’ll go with you, this I want to be there to help with.” Her voice had a bite to it, the anger at their treachery and murder still heavy on her heart. She squeezed Jon’s hand before breezing out of the room to follow the wildling down to the holding cell, thinking that a kiss might be just a little brazen even in front of Tormund.  
“So, you and the Lord Commander huh?” Tormund asked casually once they were out in the corridor.  
“Don’t act like you didn’t know Tormund, you seemed to put it together before even we did.” Mirra replied, her tone joking.  
“You’re right, I knew. There was always something between you. I’m surprised I’m the only one who noticed.”  
“You notice more than most people. I’m figuring part of that had to do with growing up beyond the wall and needing to be more observant.”  
“Probably true. He seems happy, he deserves that.” Tormund more to himself than to Mirra but the words made her smile anyway.  
When they arrived at the door, Tormund threw the bar and opened the door with a bang, causing more than a few of the men inside to jump.  
“Rise and shine boys, it’s your last.” Mirra said walking into the room behind him holding a long coil of rope which she passed to Tormund who also held the key to the shackles that kept them all bound to the room.  
As Tormund moved around the room tying the prisoners hands together and then unshackling them, Mirra stood not far off holding Wintersbreath in front of her as a warning to them all that she was not afraid to cut them down where they stood should they try anything before they could be executed. Much to her surprise, no one made any sort of move to run or to attack them as they were lead from the room and out into the courtyard. She watched as many of the men’s eyes grew wide in shock as they beheld the gallows and the multiple nooses in front of them, their shock meaning they all had expected to be beheaded today. Still no one said a word as they were each placed beneath their own rope in front of everyone in the order. Tormund stepped down from the platform leaving Mirra standing alone beside the lever that would drop the flood out from under them. She even thought that the gallows was a kinder faster death than they deserved and would have been fine with seeing them rot in that cell but she knew the difference between justice and vengeance, a good leader always did.  
“Get on with it then.” Thorne spat angrily when she made no move to pull the lever or to say anything to the gathered masses.  
Mirra turned to look at them with a devious look in her eye. “Oh, I’m not the one who’s going to be executing you today, someone else has that honor.”  
It was then that Jon Snow, former Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, walked out of the shadows and down into the corridor to stunned silence followed by quick whispering among those gathered to observe. The look on Thorne’s face was almost worth the whole thing as Mirra watched all the blood drain from his face and the shock and impossibility take its place plain as day. He mounted the stairs where he took Mirra’s place beside the gallows and she descended the stairs to stand beside Tormund.  
“We’re here today to execute these traitors for my murder.” Jon Snow’s voice rang out loud and clear silencing all the whispers that had started on his entrance. “The fact that I still stand here before you doesn’t lessen their crimes and the punishment for those crimes is death.”  
It was at that moment that he turned to the men positioned to receive their deaths and asked them, “Do you have any last words?”  
The group of men assembled stared angrily at him, most wishing that they could shove a sword through him again, only a couple looking scared to die but still saying nothing. Thorne spat at his feet but said nothing, Ollie screamed.  
“Then with my authority as Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, I sentence you to hang by the neck until dead for your crimes of treason against your Lord Commander and the order.” Jon moved back to the lever and pulled it the floor dropping out and the traitors now only suspended by the nooses around their necks. Without a look back, Jon Snow descended the scaffolding and moved through the crowd which began to part like a sea around him.  
“What do we do now Lord Commander?” Ed asked as Jon came past him.  
“My watch has ended” He replied simply as in one fluid movement he released his heavy black cloak and passed it and his mantle as Lord Commander on to Ed, his most trusted friend. Mirra Theirin seemily materialized at his side and walked off beside him to shocked whispers from the men in the order who couldn’t believe that he would just give up his command after dying for it. 

“So how does it feel to no longer be the Lord Commander?” Mirra asked as she laid against his bare chest that night, her fingers absently tracing the crescent shaped scar over his heart which she was always relieved to now find beating under his skin.  
“If it means I get to stay here with you every day, nothing could be better.” Jon told her as he leaned down and kissed her deeply as if no longer being bound by his oath made him more free.  
“Every day of your life.” Mirra said with a smile, her lips still pressed to his. It was another few minutes before either of them spoke, too busy caught up in each other and the freedom they now had to be together. “What do you want to do now since you have a choice?” She finally asked, propping herself up with her elbow to better see the man beside her. She also pulled the furs up over her naked chest to fight the cold.  
“Ideally I would want to rally the north to take back Winterfell and use the combined strength against the Night King and his army.”  
“What’s stopping you?” Mirra asked, her deep blue eyes questioning.  
“I don’t think anyone would listen to a bastard let alone lend their aid, no matter how much they may hate the Boltons.” Jon replied, he didn’t sound angry, just resigned to the fact that this was his fate.  
“My father would. You would have the support of House Theirin and that should matter to some of the lords.”  
“Yes it would, to some but not to all, and I won’t ask your father to give me his army and commit treason against the warden of the north unless I knew we had a chance to win, a real chance not just a slim one. I wont ask anyone to do that and unless there will be a Stark there to remind them of their oaths, there is nothing that can be done.”  
“You’re a Stark to me but it’s not a name I fell in love with anyway, it’s a man.” Mirra said with a smile.  
“I’m a lucky man to have found you.” Jon whispered before he kissed her again and showed her exactly how lucky he thought he was.


	16. A Strange Arrival at Castle Black

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa Stark and her small rescue party finally reach Jon and their destination of safety.

A few weeks passed of relative normalcy, Jon Snow and Mirra Theirin decided to stay at Castle Black for the time being and assist the Night’s Watch as they prepared for winter and to lend aid and advice to the new Lord Commander while they thought about exactly what they wanted to do when they left, how to rally the North if they even could. The only thing they had decided on was going to Highever for awhile to speak with Lord Matthew and meet Mirra’s new baby brother as well as for Jon to reunite with his own little brother. There was a commotion at the gates as one of the black brothers called that they had visitors approaching. Ed looked up from the table where he stood with Jon and Mirra going over a map and discussing what more they needed to do before winter fully struck. Also at this meeting were Ser Davos Seaworth and the red priestess of Asshai, Melisandre. Neither of them really had much of a place to go either with Stannis and his army dead so they too elected to remain with the Night’s Watch for the time being. At the call of visitors, the group all rushed from the room, curious and on guard. Mirra, Jon, and Ed all moved into the courtyard with their hands on their weapons, ready to draw if they needed to but as the new guests on three horses both Jon and Mirra dropped their arms and went from curious to shocked.   
The red headed woman on one of the horses quickly dismounted and ran into his arms as Jon ran to meet her and spun her around as Mirra joined him. “Jon!” She said with a large smile on her face “I’ve missed you.”  
“I’ve missed you too little sister.” Jon replied a smile on his face as well. “Sansa, you remember Lady Mirra Theirin?” He said as he moved aside and gestured to Mirra who stood beside him.  
“Of course, how could I forget? Lord Matthew used to bring her with him to Winterfell for a few months every year. Pardon me my lady, but I didn’t expect to see you here.” Sansa told her, obviously confused as to why a woman was with the Night’s Watch, let alone a woman belonging to such a noble ancient northern house.  
“Nor I you Lady Sansa.” Mirra replied just as formally, something she hadn’t forgotten in her time at the wall but it was something she hadn’t had to use much especially once Stannis and his family left the keep.  
“Jon this is Brienne of Tarth and her squire Podrick Payne. They’re the ones who helped me get here.” Sansa gesturing to her companions who had also dismounted their horses and now stood behind her as one of the black brothers took their horses and lead them to the stables.   
“Thank you both for getting her here, you’re welcome to stay as long as you wish.” Jon said with a glance at his old friend to confirm that the new Lord Commander didn’t mind.  
“As long as they can help us where we needed they can stay as long as they like, the Lady Sansa being exempt of course.” Ed told them all. “If you’ll excuse me, I must take my leave, I’ll have some rooms made up for you.” With that being said, he walked off to go resume his duties.   
“Is there somewhere private we can talk?” Sansa asked as she looked around the courtyard at the men of the order who were clearly interested in just who these new visitors were.  
“Of course. We can go to my solar.” Jon replied as he moved towards the quarters he had been sharing with Lady Mirra for the past few weeks.  
“My lady, I should accompany you.” Brienne called as Sansa moved off to follow her half brother and the woman she had only known when she was a child.   
“It’s okay Brienne. I’m safe here and Jon will protect me if anything should happen.” Sansa told her as she made no move to go back and the trio moved through Castle Black to the quarters of the Lord Commander that Jon still kept as Ed’s insistence.   
As Jon closed the door behind them, Mirra removed her cloak and hung it on the wall as Sansa watched her, seemingly weary of her presence. “Can we talk alone Jon please? No offense my lady but I haven’t known you for a long time and I don’t understand why you’re here.”  
“Mirra stays. She came here with her father’s men at my request for aid from the northern lords. She has been my right hand since arriving and I don’t know what I would have done without her.” Jon stated simply with a smile towards his lady love and a gentle squeeze of her hand, shocking his sister with the familiar way he referred to the raven haired beauty and how he touched her as if it was normal.   
“Wait, are you two… together? Like really in love together?” Sansa asked, the girl wasn’t stupid much as most of the people she had interacted with on her long journey cared to think. She noticed alot more than she let on.   
“We are.” Jon said to his sister unsure of her reaction since Sansa had always been a true lady.   
“Jon I’m so happy for you!” She exclaimed with a smile as she hugged him again. Her smile soon vanished as she thought back to why she was here and why she wished to speak to him in private in the first place. “I only wish I came here with happier news.” She sat down in one of the chairs and Mirra and Jon took the others in the room but not before Jon poured a mug of ale for each of them and passed them before taking his place beside them at the fire.  
“If you really wish me to leave Lady Sansa, I don’t mind.” Mirra told her, her voice full of concern at the sadness and heaviness that weighed on the younger woman’s heart and voice.   
“No, I want you to stay. If Jon loves and trusts you then so do I.” Sansa told her sincerely as she gathered up the courage to tell her story. The tale was long and covered everything from her time in Kings Landing and beatings by Joffrey to her escape to the Eyrie with Littlefinger and almost being killed by her jealous aunt to being sold to Lord Ramsey Bolton by Littlefinger and her savage rape and imprisonment to Theon’s aid in her escape of Winterfell and finally finding Brienne and Podrik and being lead to the wall.   
“Sansa I’m so sorry.” Jon finally managed as he hugged her tight. He didn’t know what else he could say cause nothing would make any of it any better.   
“It’s not your fault, some people are just horrible. I survived and I made it here and I will never let something like that happen to me again. Do you know anything about Bran or Rickon or even Arya?” Sansa asked hoping that they would know anything more than she did.   
“Rickon is safely hidden away in Highever with Osha.” Mirra volunteered.  
“What about the Bolton’s? I know Ramsey is angry that your father won’t swear fealty to him or even acknowledge his title as warden of the north and he is much more impulsive and horrible than his father.” Sansa replied not seeming to be comforted by the knowledge at all. “He will eventually come with all his forces.”  
“He is welcome to try but with all due respect my lady, you have never been to Highever. There is no easy way to take it and if anyone should try, they would been seen coming from well off and they would be picked off before they even got close. Besides my father holds one of the largest forces in all the north and if Ramsey Bolton has even a bit of his father in him he knows this and knows that he isn’t willing to test the allegiance of his swore lords if he tries to take down my father. Lord Matthew is well loved and respected by everyone in the north, if it came to a battle there are those who would take his side against Ramsey regardless of allegiance. There is no safer place for Rickon to be.” Mirra told her firmly.  
“What about Bran? Or Arya? Have you heard anything on them?” She asked, hoping that what Mirra said was true and that Rickon was safe at Highever.  
“Bran has gone beyond the wall in search of a three eyed raven. We haven’t heard anything since then but Sam told me he was accompanied by Jojen and Meera Reed and Hodor and Summer.” Jon told her carefully, he wasn’t there at the time that Bran came through Castle Black and didn’t know himself the state that any of them were in.  
“Why didn’t you stop him?”   
“I wasn’t here to stop him and he was dead set on going, no one here could change his mind.”  
“What of Arya?”  
“We’ve heard nothing, no one has. She’s either dead or a ghost.” Jon said sadly, missing Arya more than any of his other remaining siblings as they had been the closest.  
The light in Sansa’s eyes that sparked upon hearing Rickon was alive dimmed again when the news she heard of her other siblings was not as promising. She even found herself deeply missing Arya and regretting all those times she had sent her away for being annoying. She would give anything to have her family back the way it was 6 years ago, everyone alive and happy and together in Winterfell. The day King Robert had come to their gate was the day that everything was changed forever.   
“Jon I’m so very sorry I was so horrible to you when we were children. I never treated you like a brother and that was wrong of me.” Sansa finally managed thinking of wishing she could have her family back made her see with new eyes how she had treated her half brother.   
“I already forgave you Sansa. We were kids then, you’re my sister and I love you.” Jon told her sincerely, the only way he really said anything.   
She moved to hug him and found a comfort and safety she hadn't felt in a very long time, it reminded her of how she always felt around their father. Her eyes moved to Mirra whose ebony hair shone against the fire and whose eyes watched with a smile in them. “You're a lucky woman Lady Mirra. My brother is a good man.”   
Mirra’s smile moved to her lips and lit up her whole face. “I know.” She replied when Jon turned to her with his own smile. She loved his smile and the way he would laugh with her. “I’ve always known.”   
“What has life been like here on the Wall?” Sansa asked as she took another sip of her ale, eager to hear what she hoped was better news than how her own life had progressed over the 6 years since they had last seen each other. She watched as a dark cloud passed over both Jon and Mirra’s faces in turn and she knew that the news they had to share was probably just as dark as her own.   
Jon took a deep breath and began his tale from the journey to the wall and all the way up until the present when Sansa herself arrived at the keep. Mirra also gave her own story of her journey as well as boring as the trip to Castle Black from Highever was. She also took over the telling of what happened in that time that Jon lay dead. Sansa teared up at the point in the story and Mirra tried to go through it as quickly as possible because although Jon was with her and alive again, the memory of finding him and having him be dead was still not a pleasant one and reminded her of what almost was if it wasn’t for Melisandre. Another thing that both Jon and Mirra had to stress to Sansa was their distrust and dislike of the woman even though she had been able to bring him back to the land of the living.   
Sansa sat speechless for a moment at the end of their telling, believing everything they said but needing time to process what it all meant.   
“So the whitewalkers are real and winter really is coming.” She finally managed, holding on to the part that seemed the most important since her brother was alive.   
Jon simply nodded and took a swig from the mug he held in his hand, his mind in contemplation.   
Movement of grey outside the window caught Mirra’s eye and she turned to see her father’s raven on the sil. It cried her name when it saw her before flying off to the tower that housed the rockery. A look of confusion crossed her face as she watched the birds path, she had just sent the bird off not long ago and her father usually gave him time to rest before sending him back out, something must be wrong.   
“Excuse me my lady.” Mirra said to Sansa as she turned from the window and grabbed Jon’s hand a moment before catching his eye and leaving the room. She knew he would read the concern on her face.   
“Of course.” She heard Sansa say before she breezed out the door of the solar after throwing on her cloak. She refused to run and send anyone into a panic but she did walk fast enough that her cloak billowed out behind her.   
“My lady!” She heard her name called and the clink of armor as someone moved to follow her, the sound meaning it could only be one of her house soldiers. “What is it?”   
“News from my father.” She didn't bother to stop as she mounted the stairs to the raven sanctuary and heard Hawthorne follow her. When she reached the top, her father’s great grey raven who she had decided to name Spirit, was perched on the ledge anxiously awaiting her. He called her name again as she approached him and held out his leg for her to retrieve the message. Hawthorne said nothing as he stood in the doorway waiting to see the news.   
Mirra skillfully extracted the message from Spirit’s leg and once it was free the bird leaped from the ledge onto his other master’s shoulder and sat there as she retrieved a small piece of salted meat for him as a reward. He cawed happily as he ate the meat although the news he carried was far from happy.   
Mirra’s already light skin paled as she quickly read and reread the contents of the letter.   
“Lady Mirra, what’s wrong?” Hawthorne moved towards her but she shook her head and clasped the letter in her hand as she walked by him and hurried down the stairs calling over her shoulder, “Follow me.”   
Mirra could feel her heart pounding anxiously in her chest as she made her way back to the solar of the Lord Commander. The parchment felt heavy in her hand as she opened the door to find that Jon and Sansa had not moved from where they sat by the fire. Jon stood as soon as he saw Mirra’s face and the panic that resided there on her features. Sansa stood as well clasping the mug of ale in her hands, her knuckles turning white.  
“Spirit brought news from my father in Highever.” She began twisting the small scroll between her fingers. “Osha and Rickon are gone, they ran away.” She held her hand out to Jon who took the scroll from her scarcely believing his own eyes much as she had done.   
“I don’t understand.” Sansa questioned slowly. “You said they were safe in Highever.”  
“They were.” Jon replied as he passed the small letter to his sister to read with her own eyes. “It says that the Bolton’s sent a messenger to Castle Theirin to demand Lord Matthew’s taxes and fealty again and that the sight of him scared Osha so badly she declared that they would be safer out in the forests. They left in the night.” Suddenly Jon looked incredibly tired as he ran his hand through his dark curls.   
“What does this mean?” Sansa said as she tossed the letter into the fire before her.   
“It means we hope that Osha is correct and that she can keep Rickon safe on her own out in the woods. My father sent out some men to look for them but won’t risk a large force in case our enemies wonder who he’s out searching for.” Mirra replied, truly hoping the wildling woman’s instincts were correct but fearing that she made a big mistake.  
“With any luck she will head further south and leave the north entirely. Robb’s war is over and everyone thinks all the Starks are dead, no one will look twice at them once they’re free of the North.” Jon said thoughtfully as he thought of what he would do in their position, ever the stragistist.   
Sansa nodded and wrapped her arms around herself as if for comfort. “I hope you’re right Jon.” She said solemnly as she gazed into the fire as if staring off into nothing. “I really hope you’re right.”


	17. This Means War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A decision is made regarding how to handle Ramsey Bolton and Mirra and Sansa have a heart to heart in the Godswood.

It was another several days before any news was heard about Rickon. Jon and Mirra were sharing a meal with Sansa, Brienne, Podrik, Edd, Tormund, Melisandre, and Davos in the dining hall after the Night’s Watch had already consumed their lunch and were back to their posts. The topic of Rickon was much avoided as none of the outsiders wanted to pry and Jon, Mirra, and Sansa considered no news to be good news for the time being. It meant that Lord Matthew’s men hadn’t found him but on the opposite end it meant Lord Bolton’s hadn’t either and Sansa almost assured them that Ramsey would send word if he found Rickon simply because he’s a sadist. She was right. It was Hawthorne who delivered the letter and as soon as he entered the great hall, Mirra knew the news was bad. She knew it was even worse when her lieutenant handed the scroll to Jon and not to her. The seal she recognized instantly as the flayed man of the Dreadfort.  
“Boltons.” Sansa said softly mirroring the other woman’s thoughts.   
Jon said nothing as he broke the seal and read the letter, he knuckles going white. Mirra laid a gentle hand on his thigh beneath the table.  
“It’s from Ramsey.” Jon said looking up to meet his sister’s gaze and the terror that lay there. “He says that he has Rickon and will trade him for his wife’s return and my oath of fealty. He says if we don’t comply, he will kill us all but not before torturing us first. He signed it Warden of the North.” He tossed the letter onto the table before them with disgust.   
“So Roose Bolton is dead then. My father wondered but never knew.” Mirra said in a bit of shock.   
“How do we even know we can believe what this says? It could be a trap.” Davos said, ignoring the letter.  
“Trust me, it’s truth. He wouldn’t bother if it wasn’t.” Sansa said with venom in her usually sweet voice.  
“Well then we have to go get him back!” Brienne stood from the table banging her thighs against the side as she moved and rattling their goblets.   
“We can’t.” Mirra said sounding resigned running the fingers of her free hand through her dark mane. “Ramsey Bolton holds Winterfell and it's a fortress. The only reason Theon Greyjoy was able to take it is because it was yielded to him. If what Lady Sansa says is true, the bastard of Bolton would never yield to anyone he would die first and us along with him and that serves no one.”   
She could see that Brienne was about to protest when Sansa touched her hand. “Lady Mirra is right. It was only with Theon’s aid that I managed to get out and getting in is going to be much harder and we would been seen coming from miles away.”   
Jon said nothing and steepled his fingers beneath his chin and stared into the glass before him.   
“Raise an army.” Melisandre said simply, the large ruby at her throat shimmering as she spoke.   
Davos almost choked on his turkey leg. “In case you haven’t been paying attention, the Night’s Watch can’t get involved in anything political.”  
“Maybe not, but the North can. They will follow their rightful leader, I’ve seen it in the flames.” She locked eyes with Jon who had looked up from his glass at her words.  
“The North won’t follow a bastard, Ned Stark’s son or not.” He said as a matter of fact, his tone not bitter or resentful. “Your king gave me the option to become a Stark once and take Winterfell but I turned him down for my duty. The North won’t follow me.”  
“You may be surprised as to who the North may follow.” His love told him while a gentle squeeze of his thigh. “House Theirin would follow you.”  
“Your father’s house is indeed large and powerful but its only one among many and even the full force of his army can’t stand against Ramsey if the rest of the North backs its current Warden of the North as they would be smart to do after seeing what happened with my brother’s war.”  
“Lord Matthew is of an ancient house and well respected in the North.” Davos replied stroking his beard. “Might be having his support is enough to pull others to your cause.”  
“So is having a legitimate Stark heir at your side supporting this.” Sansa replied with a soft smile. “There must always be a Stark in Winterfell and I still live. That will matter to the lords, at least to some.”   
“We would still have to rally most of the Northern houses and hope we don’t get captured and tried for treason along the way.” Jon looked to Mirra and took her hand. “How sure are you that your father will give us his army? I know that he won’t bend the knee to the Bolton’s but there is a big difference between that and outright going against your leige lord and declaring war.”  
“I know without a doubt that my father will be completely behind you.” Mirra spoke with all the conviction of a commanding lord.   
“What of the free folk?” Melisandre asked, turning her red gaze to Tormund who continued to stuff his face in silence.  
“Aye, we might.” Tormund replied with a thoughtful nod. “Be better to have Lord Snow in that high seat than some unknown sadist. At least we know we’d be safe with him. But that isn’t up to me, I’d have to talk with all the clan leaders before I can say.”   
“You’re people don’t have to do that. They owe me nothing, especially after coming to Mirra’s aid to avenge my murder.” Jon sounded shocked that Tormund would even consider it when it wasn’t his people’s fight and they didn’t have to bow to lords of Westeros.   
“I know we don’t but as i said, I also know that we would be much safer having someone we trust control the North.”  
“Then we’re going to war.” Jon declared as he stood and pulled Mirra up beside him. “Tormund, go speak to the free folk and determine if they will indeed fight for us. We will be going to my lady’s home of Highever first, you can send word to us there of their answer.”  
“I’ll go right away.” Tormund stood and immediately left the hall and headed off to the stables to mount up and bring news of the coming fight to his people.  
“I’ll send word to my father that we’re coming home.” Mirra kissed Jon’s knuckles. “After that, I want to go out to the godswood before we start off.”  
“Be safe love.” Jon didn’t care that they weren’t alone when he leaned in and kissed her before she took her leave of the dining hall and headed off to the rookery.

“Only one more flight for you Spirit, you’re going home.” Mirra cooed to the large grey bird as she opened the door to his cage and he hopped out onto her arm before moving to her shoulder as she crossed to the room to write the letter to her father.   
Father, I’m coming home. Not alone though, it will be small band of us including Jon Snow. I will not write the others names in case this shall fall into the wrong hands. It is a matter of the utmost importance that draws us home and we will need to discuss it in detail once we arrive. Do not fear, we will stay far Winterfell on our journey. All my love to you and mother and baby Eddard. -Mirra   
She sealed the letter with the black wax seal of the Night’s Watch and firmly tied it to raven’s leg. “Fly home to Highever and may the old gods watch over you.” She thrust her arm into the sky and Spirit took off with a cry as he flew off south.   
As Mirra turned to leave, she was surprised to find Ghost standing in the shadows at the top of the stairs, almost as if he was waiting for her which he probably was.  
“Jon sent you to protect me beyond the wall didn’t he?” Mirra asked the direwolf as she rubbed the thick white fur on top of his head. Ghost rubbed his massive body against her side in answer as she moved down the stairs. She smiled at that, at Jon’s love for her and at the care of the direwolf as well who she had come to love as much as Jon did.   
It took not time at all to saddle Shadow and head out through the gates and out into the wild lands beyond the wall. Ghost stayed right at her side as she rode into the forest towards the godswood. She knew that normally the direwolf would take the opportunity to go off hunting and the fact that he wasn’t was even more indication that Jon commanded he stay with her.   
Mirra Theirin reached the godswood in what felt like no time at all and dismounted Shadow outside the grove of weirwoods not bothering to hobble the stallion as she knew he wouldn’t stray. Ghost left her side but didn’t go far, she saw him move off into the bushes surrounding the grove. She moved into the center of the grove and sat down in the snow beneath the largest of the heart trees, fanning her cloak out so she wouldn’t have to sit directly in the snow.   
Mirra had been there maybe an hour meditating and praying when she heard footsteps crunch in the snow behind her. Her deep blue eyes snapped open and she drew Wintersbreath and spun to face her would be attacker in a split second.   
Sansa Stark stared back at her, wide eyed. “Forgive me, my lady. I didn’t mean to scare you.” She said as Mirra sheathed her sword with a tired smile.  
“You never know what could be lurking out here.” Mirra told her as she gestured for Sansa to come closer, taking note that Lady Brienne and Podrik Payne stood just outside the godswood themselves beside Shadow.  
“And yet you came out here alone.”  
“Oh I wouldn’t say I’m alone.” Mirra said as Ghost emerged from the bushes and did a circle of the grove before settling down at the heart tree.   
Sansa smiled her soft sweet smile as she and Mirra both sat down in the snow before the heart tree. “He loves you.” She said simply.  
“He protects me.” Mirra said noticing the younger woman’s eyes on the direwolf.  
“Not Ghost, my lady, Jon.” Sansa caught the older woman’s eyes with her own pale blue ones. “The way he looks at you, its how I’ve always wanted someone to look at me.”  
“I love him too. I have for years, just didn’t realize until I came here.”  
“You’re good for him.” Sansa smiled warmly as she adjusted her cloak against the cold. She sighed as she looked up at the blood red leaves above them. “The last time i was in a godswood was when i was forced to marry Ramsey. Its nice to be able to replace that memory.”  
“I’m sorry for all that’s happened to you.” Mirra laid a comforting hand on top of hers for a moment.   
“It’s made me who I am and in that sense i don’t regret it.”   
“A good way to look at it.”  
“The only way I really can if i want to be able to move on from it. Someday I’ll be lucky enough to find someone to love me as Jon loves you. That’s the only time I’ll ever marry again.” Sansa sounded wistful but not all together sad either.   
“If you don’t mind my asking, what are you planning to do once we recapture Winterfell?”  
“I haven’t thought beyond that to be honest. Just getting that far is alot already. Just this morning none of us even knew we were going to war.” Mirra absently fingered the hilt of her sword as she thought back to the battle at Hardhome.   
“You should stay in Winterfell.” Sansa ventured carefully. “As Jon’s lady wife.”  
If Mirra had been drinking anything she would have spit it everywhere at that moment. “Has Jon said something?!” She almost couldn’t get the words out.   
“No and it’s doubtful that he will. He could never bring himself to ask you to marry him.” Sansa paused. “It doesn’t matter how badly he might want to, he’s too honorable to ever ask a noble lady to marry him when he’s only a bastard.” Sansa held up her hand when she saw that Mirra was about to protest. “I don’t mean that that way, I know you don’t see him that way and I don’t either but that’s still how he sees himself and that’s how the world sees him.”  
“I don’t care what the world sees, I only see him as a man, a man I love.”  
“And that’s good to hear my lady.” Sansa smiled and took her hand. “If you asked him, he might say yes you know.”  
“Why?” Mirra was puzzled, knowing the circumstances to be the same regardless of who asked and that while she didn’t care, he did.   
“Because you wouldn’t be breaking any rules in asking to marry him.” She squeezed Mirra’s hand. “I know that you’re different than me and alot more like Arya but I miss having a sister and Jon loves you and you’re good for him.”  
Mirra said nothing for a time and instead called Ghost to her and stroked the direwolf’s head when he laid it on her lap. “Maybe that’s something to consider after we actually restore Winterfell to your family.” Mirra couldn’t help but smile at the prospect of being Jon’s wife, bastard or no. “Just please don’t say anything to Jon.”  
“I promise that I won’t.” Sansa Stark stood up and offered her hand to Mirra who took it and rose beside her stirring Ghost from his light slumber to stretch and stand beside them. “We should head back to Castle Black though, there is still alot of packing and preparation to do before we leave in the morning.”  
The two northern ladies walked to the edge of the godswood together, hand in hand. The sister that one never had and the sister that the other never had a relationship with.


End file.
